The Ashla Awareness
by DuchessKenobi
Summary: This is a sequel to my story The Ashla Spectrum and picks up just a few hours after that one left off. Soniee has survived the take over of Mandalore, the bombing of the Jedi Temple and several brushes with the dark side. She's heading home for hopefully a happy reunion with old friends but life for an untrained Force user is never that easy.
1. detour

This chapter is the sum total of my first day's writing for this year's NaNoWriMo! I will not be posting every day's writing as it's own chapter the day i write it but this one rounded out nicely and gives you an idea of where this new story will be headed. Thank you to everybody who has read my other stories and stuck with me so far. Hope you enjoy this one as well!

She was dying. Soniee could feel the Force ebbing out of her. And there was something else. Something inside of her was also dying, something small and indistinct but very precious. She couldn't save herself but she was trying to save the other thing, that small precious thing that had never had a chance to really live.

And then she heard the alarm, the warning that her freighter would be dropping out of hyperspace, and she jerked awake. Soniee had had the dream before but it was never so vivid. Usually she would forget it as soon as she woke up but this time it stuck with her, the fear and the sadness and the helplessness. But she didn't have time to think about the dream or the intense feelings it left behind.

In another few minutes her careful calculations would bring her right to the edge of the Mandalore system, the system she had called home for all of her nearly eighteen years. She had spent a month away on Coruscant, since that awful day when Maul killed the duchess and she had been forced to fly Master Obi-wan Kenobi back to the Jedi Temple. Then she had been compelled to tell the council her story about the goings on in Sundari and plead for their help to rescue her planet. They had refused and sent her on to speak her case before the Republic Senate but before she was able to do so the Temple had been bombed and she was brought in to testify to her innocence. Her ship had been in the hanger at the time of the bombing, but she had been cleared of all charges and had then prepared to present her story to the Senate with the help of Padme Amidala.

She hadn't gotten the chance to say goodbye to Padme before she left Coruscant. The senator from Naboo was on a mission to Scipio to learn what the hold up was with the Republic's loan from the banking clan. Soniee could never repay all that Padme had done for her while she was stuck in Galactic City. She had been guardian and mentor and friend and she had allowed Soniee to stay in her home, her penthouse apartment.

Soniee checked the readouts on her instrument panel. She would send Padme a comm once she was settled back on Mandalore. For now she really needed to focus on dropping safely into real space. It was her least favorite part of piloting. Her mother had gone into labor in hyperspace and had dropped to sublight speed into a firefight just moments before Soniee was born. She knew the odds of something like that happening to her now were minimal. She had programed the jump to conclude far enough out in the system that no ships should be flying anywhere nearby when she arrived.

She wondered what Lux would say about her worries. Lux Bonteri was from Onderon just like her mother and he had become her friend early on after her arrival on Coruscant. He joked with her about appointment to be Mandalore's Representative to the senate and how she had planned to tell the Chancellor that he had make a mistake and decline the offer. She and Lux had shared in the humor over the rumors of their love affair that had never really happened and the stories that they might be related. She hadn't said goodbye to him either but she had asked Fox to pass on the message.

Oh Fox. Her heart broke for him. CC-1010, Commander Fox of the Coruscant guard had fallen in love with Soniee during her stay and she had found it very difficult not to return those feelings. She was certain however that any romantic venture that she attempted on the Galactic capitol was doomed to fail. Not just because of the fact that she had someone else waiting for her back home but also because of the influence of a dark presence that seemed determined to get her to show her Force sensitive powers and draw on her emotions to become stronger. Lux had gotten a cracked skull when the, whoever it was, had used him to tempt Soniee. And she had nearly broken Fox's hip when she Force pushed him across a room.

No, it was better that she had left all that behind her. Better that she and Korkie had finally gotten back in touch. The son of the duchess had asked her again to marry him and just a few hours ago they had exchanged their vows. Soon she would be with him again, in the arms of her husband. Soniee smiled as she pulled back on the lever and watched the stars condense again into pinpoints of light as she returned to real space.

Proximity alarms blared and it was only her quick reflexes that allowed her to swerve to miss the three red and black Kom'rk class fighters that were clustered around her exact reentry point. It was like they were waiting for her and any doubt that this wasn't the case vanished when the ping for the holo comm informed her of an incoming message relay. The message itself didn't come from one of the ships but was being passed on from Sundari.

Still shaking from the shock after the drop from lightspeed, Soniee took a deep breath and activated the comm. The image that rose from the projector was a well dressed older gentleman and he addressed her with all the esteem and politeness of a life long politician.

"Representative Ordo, I am so glad to see that you have made it safely back from Coruscant." Prime Minister Almec gave her a slight bow. "And may I be the first to congratulate you on passing your Royal Academy of Government final exams." He clapped his hands together.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"Well you turned in the documents just a few hours ago, did you not?"

Soniee gulped. She had turned in her last exam paper from the comm system of this ship. She hadn't even considered that they might be able to track her from the chip she had taken from the datapad that Almec had sent her.

"When you didn't show up for the Senate session this morning we started to worry about you." He was watching her for a reaction and she attempted to keep her face blank. "Mr. Bonteri seemed a bit worried as well."

The image shifted to a recording from that morning's senate meeting. Lux was sitting alone in his repulsor pod listening to the Chancellor give testimony about how he had been attacked by a clone trooper who had succumbed to some sort of virus. They had reason to believe that the virus was a Separatist plot, as usual. But Soniee wasn't thinking about the conspiracy. She knew Lux would be rolling his eyes at the a theory, just as he had refused to believe that Ahsoka could have been allied with the Separatist when she was accused of bombing the Jedi Tempe.

No, Soniee was thinking about Fox. He had been in contact with this infected clone. Fox had been the one who killed him. Soniee bit her lip and continued to listen intently to the Chancellor's speech. His doctors had come up with an inoculation to the virus and it would be sent out to every soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic. She sighed with relief as Almec's image once again appeared in the holo projection.

"Relieved to know that your guard will receive the vaccine for the virus?" Almec asked.

"Well, yes. Yes I am." She answered honestly.

"Why did you leave so suddenly, if I may be so bold as to ask? We would have sent for you soon in any event. We mean to celebrate your graduation. There will be a ceremony here in Sundari in your honor."

"I was..." Soniee sought for an answer. "homesick. I haven't seen my mother in weeks. I just wanted to go home to Concord Dawn and visit with her."

"Ah." The Prime Minister nodded. "Then your decision had nothing to do with this..." Another image replaced his in the projection. It was of Fox kissing her on the balcony outside Padme's apartment and then he swept her up into her arms and carried her inside. Almec's voice began shortly before his image returned in the holo. "You know of course that it wouldn't be seemly for the Representative of the Neutral System of Mandalore to be seen fraternizing with a clone trooper..."

Maybe it was because the feelings from her dream were still so raw in her mind. Maybe it was because the real person she was afraid of seeing this video was now her husband. Or, maybe it was just because she had thought about doing it for so long. Soniee raised her hand toward the image and imagined that it was gripping the Prime Minister's throat. She squeezed and as she did, he began to gasp for air. She felt the intoxicating power of having him at her mercy, finally.

But then, as Almec continued to struggle, someone else calmly stepped into the holo image that was being projected before her. He was tall with red and black patterned skin and a ring of horns protruded from his skull. She knew him at once even though they had never met.

"Fascinating," Maul smiled. He circled Almec but didn't immediately make a move to help his puppet ruler. "Your power is quite extraordinary, Miss Ordo."

Soniee almost smiled. His words gave her the same feeling of pride as they would if Momma or one of her Academy instructors had praised her work.

"However..." The Zabrak Sith snapped his fingers, a sharp pain shot through her hand, and she released her victim. "I'm afraid we still need this pretender for a while longer."

Almec coughed and rubbed at his throat. "Thank you, My Lord," he rasped.

Maul ignored him and focused on Soniee. "I believe you were already aware, my name is Maul and I have heard so much about you. You wish to go home and visit your mother?"

"Y-yes." She answered, rubbing her hand, which still stung from his admonishment. She was ashamed at the way his approval had affected her. He was the enemy. He had killed Korkie's mother.

"You were adopted by Mandalorians, were you not?" He asked her. He paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back and she noticed his prosthetic legs. That's right! She remembered the story now. Master Kenobi had cut him in half! How had he possibly survived? She had to admit an awestruck curiosity.

"I was." She refused to qualify her answers with a title like sir or lord. It was a small defiance but one she was determined to continue, even if the power he wielded was darkly seductive.

He stopped his pacing and looked at her, sincerely it seemed, from the holo image. "I too am attempting to adopt your Mandalorian culture as my own. I feel it will help me better rule my people if I accept your history, your _Resol'nare."_

She nodded noncommittally.

Maul smiled and gestured broadly with his hands. "I see no problem with your going to visit your... buir is the word, is it not?"

"Yes," Soniee nodded again.

"And there was no one else you wished to visit here on the planet Mandalore?"

"I can't think of anyone," she answered slowly. "My fellow cadets were all sent home from Sundari or..."

"Oh, that is right. Your... friend, Amis was killed in the unfortunate violence brought on by our changing of the guard."

"Yes, he was." Soniee swallowed. She was so glad that she had had the presence of mind to use this as her cover story when Almec had first questioned her about her reasons for staying in Sundari when the rest of the cadets had been sent home from the Academy. She was now franticly trying to think of how she would get word to Korkie and the others that she couldn't meet them in Keldabe.

Then he changed the subject and caught her off guard. "There is no one then who would warrant your wearing that... it is a wedding gown, is it not?"

"What this?" Her mind worked feverishly to come up with a reason. She stood up from her pilot's seat and revolved in a slow circle. "It's... well, you can't fault a girl for a little dress-up while enduring the boredom and loneliness of hyperspace." She was smiling when she came around to face him again. "Especially when I have so many lovely things to choose from."

"Of course." Maul nodded with a small, indulgent smile. "It was not for the benefit of the clone trooper in those holoimages then?"

"No, of course not," she scoffed.

"And there is no one who would be particularly bothered by seeing those images?"

"W-well," she faltered. "As the Prime Minister said before." She gestured toward the pitiful creature who was still cowering before his master. "It wouldn't quite be seemly for the indiscretions of a system representative to be blasted all over the holonet. But bothered? No, I can't think of anyone in particular."

He nodded, approval again. "Not even that Senator Bonteri?"

"Lux?" Soniee rolled her eyes. How many times did she have to explain? "It was my friend, Lux Bonteri, who suggested that I get on with my life and let my hair down a bit. He would have a good laugh about it."

He was silent for a moment, thinking, then he noticed Almec and gave the Prime Minister a kick. When he turned back to face Soniee, Maul was smiling again. "Well, my dear, Representative Ordo, I do look forward to our meeting face to face when you come here to Sundari for your commencement ceremony."

She bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement.

"Enjoy your visit with your buir. And please don't be upset by your escort..."

Soniee realized that he was talking about the three Kom'rk fighters that had taken up positions on either side and in front of her freighter. "We only mean to see you safely to your planet."

She wanted to tell him that it wouldn't be necessary but he cut the transmission before she got the chance. Soniee slumped down into her seat and followed the lead of her escort. What else could she do? She'd been more or less given an order by a Sith Lord who now knew exactly what she was capable of. She would find some way to get word to Korkie and the others. For now she was just happy that the interview had gone so well, although she had no idea what Maul might have planned for her in the future.


	2. finding

The Force is still leading Soniee in the direction she needs to go even if she has a dark side escort along the way.

* * *

Soniee set her B-7 freighter down in a clearing a little away from the village where she had grown up. Her escort of Kom'rk fighters had stayed right with her all the way to Concord Dawn and down into the planet's atmosphere. Now they hung back but she was sure they would be orbiting and monitoring her transponder. They would know if she tried to leave the planet in her own ship. She might be able to throw them off if she hired another ride but she found that she didn't really want to, not right now. Right now she was... home.

The first thing she did before she left her craft was to remove the data chip that contained her final exam from the comm unit. She knew that they would still be able to trace her now but this was the thing that had given them the initial heads up to her whereabouts. She stared at it and it blasted to nano particles in her hand. Her own power startled her and she stood blinking for a minute.

Not paying much attention to what she was wearing or where she was going, Soniee lowered the ramp and walked out onto the planet's surface. She could just see the last house in the village beyond the trees and down the road from that house was Momma's garage and above it the apartment she had lived in for all her life until she left for the Academy in Sundari when she was ten. She considered walking that way. Even if Momma was still in Keldabe on Mandalore, she still new the entrance codes to the garage and the apartment. She could let herself in, get something to eat in the kitchen, take a nap in her own bed, make herself at home. But, that wasn't home anymore.

Instead Sonie started walking in the opposite direction from the village. She wasn't sure where she was going at first and then she knew. Momma had never wanted to take her to the place. Maybe she was trying to protect her daughter from the horror of it. Now, however the site of her birth mother's crash seemed to call to her.

It took her less than an hour to walk to the spot where vegetation had almost swallowed up the smashed freighter in the past eighteen years. Eighteen years exactly, Soniee realized. Today was her lifeday. She continued forward almost as if in a dream, pulled away some of the vines and branches, and placed her hand against the hull of the ship.

She couldn't sense any life there now but she knew that once a young woman alone with a droid had flown here from Onderon. Soniee didn't know if the Mandalore system was her primary destination or if it was just where she happened to come out of hyperspace when she went into labor and needed to call for help. Either way it was rotten luck or rotten timing. She had dropped into sublight speed in the middle of the Mandalorian Civil War. The freighter took fire from two separate fighters, one of them being Veeka's own and Soniee knew Momma Ordo still had nightmares about her laser blasts slamming into the innocent vessel.

And then Soniee was born, or at least that's the way Momma had always told the story. Her mother had used the open comm channel to request help and Momma Ordo heard the newborn baby cry, a girl, and her mother named her Soniee. At least, that's what it had sounded like to Momma when she heard it. She had to guess at the spelling.

As much as Soniee had always appreciated her adoptive mother, she had also taken comfort in the fact that her other mother had named her, had wanted her, had loved her. She just wished she knew more about the woman. What was she like? What was she running from or to? Did she know that her daughter was special, that she would be able to use the Force? Was that why she was flying alone heedless of her destination?

Soniee made her way around the craft removing the choking vegetation as she went until she found an opening. It had to be the hatch that Veeka had crawled through to get inside and rescue the crying baby. Soniee put her hands to the metal and it gave way almost without her having to exert any extra effort from the Force. She was soon able to enter and see the cargo hold. This was in much better condition. A few small animals had gotten in over the years to seek refuge and make their homes but on the whole it was relatively untouched. She wondered if it was possible that there was anything left here that would give her an idea of who her mother was and why she had made the trip.

Then something caught her eye or maybe she sensed its importance before she even turned her head toward it. It was a book with actual flimsy pages and animal hide binding, and it was miraculously whole. There were no water stains or bite marks. It was as if it had been left there only a few moments before for Soniee to find. She picked it up and opened the cover hoping beyond all hope that all her questions were about to be answered. But instead she found runes of what looked like some ancient language. Onderonian perhaps? Some pages they were inked with a graceful, steady hand but in other places it looked as if the writer may have been overcome with emotion. Soniee even thought she saw what might have been tear stains.

She turned each page looking for some clue in the foreign script until she got to what she assumed would be the back cover and saw a little message scrawled in Basic. "To my sister, Melaana on her 16th lifeday. Make it a great story. Love, Sanjay." And there was a date there in the Galactic Standard form. It was two years and a few months before Soniee was born. Could this Melaana have been her mother? Was this her journal? And this Sanjay, whoever he was, would be her uncle and he had given this book to his sister over 20 years ago.

Soniee knew it! She had a family! She had a history! She had a book full of Onderonian runes that she had no idea how to read. But she was sure as Haran going to learn. Maybe she'd comm Lux. Surely he would help. She closed the book and hugged it to her chest.

And there in the quiet she heard something else. It was almost like singing, very quiet but unmistakable. It was singing out to her, Soniee was sure of it.

She stepped back out of the wrecked freighter and looked around trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. She closed her eyes and felt the Force flowing around her. The song was coming from the hill that the ship had crashed into. She opened her eyes once more and realized she would have to move the freighter to get at it.

She didn't even consider the impossibility of the feat. She just closed her eyes again and holding the book in her left arm, raised her right hand toward the obstacle. Ever so slowly the craft began to shift. It rose half a meter off the ground and then as Soniee moved her hand towards the right the freighter moved to. She didn't have to move it far, only far enough for her to slip behind it to the cave entrance that the wreck had hidden all these years. She gently lowered the ship, taking care with the vessel that had come to be her mother's tomb.

She opened her eyes and walked forward having no idea what she would find. She only knew that now the song she had heard before was stronger. With the book still clutched in her arms she entered the cave. It was dark but there was something shining near the back of the cavern and she went towards it. She wasn't afraid of meeting anything dangerous or of tripping over something or falling in some unseen pit. The shining thing was singing to her, calling her. She knew whatever it was that she was meant to have it. It had been lying here waiting for her for who knew how long.

Finally she reached out and took it in her hand. It was a tiny, ice-blue crystal, simple but beautiful. Soniee knew that this was what she had come here for. Her mother's journal was a wonderful gift, but this crystal had been waiting here for her even before her mother had flown her ship to the Mandalore System.

She carried the crystal and the book back out of the cave and sat on the ground facing the wreck. She set the book in her lap and held the crystal in her hands, just feeling it's power and listening to it sing. She had no idea what it was for, though it's resonance in the Force led her to believe that if she had had any decent Jedi training it would be obvious.

It was... part of something or a tool to build something but it was also just... beautiful. And it was hers, beyond a shadow of a doubt. She knew that no one else would have ever heard its song. And she also knew that whatever purpose another Force user may have put it to, her application was going to be... different.

Soniee thought of the ships she had worked on with her mother and the electronics that she had built and re-built on her own. The crystal could go into something like that but it was powerful enough on its own. She slipped into a sort of unintentional meditation. And she saw...everything! It was like when she would reach out into the Force to find Korkie or Lagos or Momma. She could feel them clearly, amplified from her regular visions. And she knew they were coming. Momma was coming and Korkie was with her. Lagos had decided to remain with Bo. She wasn't sure how the flight would affect her morning sickness and she didn't want to chance it.

"I'm here, Korkie." She breathed. "Come home."


	3. Melaana

This one takes place about 36BBY in Onderon's capitol city of Iziz. I was going to save posting it for later but i like it too much not to share and since Soniee now knows her mother's name, I thought it would be fun to give you all some of her history. you may recognize some of the names from canon and if you don't shame on you go back and watch season 5 of Clone Wars. Thanks to Lux's Sister for letting me bounce ideas off of you! and to rebelcating for the fave and follow! Enjoy!

* * *

So, that was Lieutenant Dane Bonteri. Now she remembered him. They had only danced together the one time at one of her mother's many parties but the experience must not have been completely forgettable.

Melaana peered down at him now from between the black marble pillars that held up the banister of the grand staircase in the Rash family's entrance hall. He was handsome, tall, with sleepy hazel eyes and dark hair trimmed short in the military regulation style. She supposed he wasn't the worst choice her parents could have made for her.

He was only a few years older than her own barely seventeen years. Not like some of the other considerations. There had been talk that Melaana had overheard about trying to marry her off to the recently widowed Barron Skelari and he was positively ancient. He had a daughter who was nearly a decade older than Melaana herself.

No, if she had to be betrothed to someone the candidate standing at attention before her father now was the vastly more preferable option. Still, that didn't mean she was going to welcome the proposition with open arms.

She was supposed to be down there right now, the dutiful daughter standing slightly to the left and slightly behind her father, eyes down cast, perhaps offering Dane a coy smile. That was what her mother had trained her for her whole life. Instead she grinned at him from her hiding place, sure he wouldn't think to glance up. But he did and though he didn't do anything to give her away she was sure she saw the corner of his mouth turn up ever so slightly and one sleepy eye wink in her direction.

It was definitely time for her to go before she was discovered. She was wearing her heather gray flight suit rather than one of her stiflingly proper morning gowns and she held her boots in her hand so that she could race along the hardwood floors in her stocking feet without making a sound. She waited till the Lieutenant focused his eyes seriously back on her father who was facing away from the balcony.

"I don't understand what could be keeping her," the Rash patriarch was not quite apologizing to his guests.

"She'll be taking extra care with her hair and wardrobe for the occasion," her mother simpered. "Give her another few minutes then if she hasn't yet appeared we'll send someone to go and fetch her."

Melaana took off down the hall. She would have made a clean break of it, out the window, down the sloping roof... if she had not heard her brother crunch into the shuura fruit from the alcove along her path and causing her to gasp. She slid to a stop and turned to look at him, annoyed at the distraction from her goal.

Sanjay chewed and swallowed before he addressed her quietly with a smile, "And just where are you off to this fine morning, Sister? Aren't you supposed to be downstairs with our parents having your whole life mapped out for you?"

"You know that's the very last thing I want," she whispered back to him, hands on hips, impatient to be away.

He scooted over on the bench where he was sitting and made room for her to join him, still munching away at his fruit. She sat with a sigh and began to pull on her boots. "You know I'd rather be flying."

"And you know that they can make the arrangements and sign the contracts without your being present." Sanjay frowned. He did honestly care about what happened to his baby sister even if everyone else seemed to only want her to do her duty.

"So," she finished fastening one boot and moved on to the second. "they don't need me down there, then and - and I can spend the morning in my cloudhopper."

He had stopped his chewing and she knew he was worrying about her.

She sighed again knowing it came down to her to reassure her big brother. "Sani, he's not as bad as some of the others they considered and he's in the army so maybe he'll be away a lot of the time. I'm sure everything will work out alright. I just..."

He tossed the half eaten fruit and a cleaning droid came along to fetch it and wipe up the juice as soon as it had touched the floor. He took both of her shoulders in his hands and squeezed gently. "We'll make sure it's written up in the marriage agreement that he has to allow you to go out and fly any time you want to."

Melaana grinned. "I knew you would have the answer."

"Now get out of here before they come and drag you off." Sanjay pushed her up off the bench and toward her escape route.

"Thanks, Sani!" she whispered and blew him a kiss as she threw her leg over the window sill and then disappeared out onto the roof.

It was a perfect day to be up in the air. The sky was blue and nearly cloudless. Melaana settled into the open cockpit of her cloudhopper and not for the first time she wished that the little vehicle could punch past her planet's gravitational pull and allow her to touch the stars or at least Dxun, their nearest moon.

She knew there was a time when the demon moon came close enough during certain times of its cycle that it would share atmosphere with the planet. Back then she may have been able to break free and explore it's secrets. But that had been hundreds of years ago. Now it just hung, the shadow of a waning crescent, against the blue.

She began the preflight checks. The cloudhopper and her piloting lessons had been a gift for her 16th lifeday because she had been asking to learn to fly as long as she could remember. Her father had probably thought she would loose interest like she had with her music lessons and the baliball team she had joined for a season.

Her piloting instructor, a dashing young Pantoran had mistaken her eagerness to be in the air with an infatuation for himself. While she may have found him attractive, Melaana's focus had always been on learning the skill. Their lessons had taken them further and further from her home until the one time they were far enough away and had stayed out late enough that he convinced her that they would have to stay the night in a cave and start back in the morning. Getting her alone and out of her safety gear it hadn't taken long for him to attempt to get her out of her flight suit as well.

Melaana had decided then and there that she was done with instruction. She gave him a hard kick and left him there in the cave, flying herself back to civilization in the dark. Her parents had hoped that the loss of her teacher would mean the end of her piloting career but on the contrary she began to dig into any holo she could find to teach herself.

The incident had also spurred her parents on to find her a suitable husband. So for months it had been nothing but parties and dances, fancy clothes and hours of sitting with hair dressers trying to tame her wild mane of nearly waist length, dark brown curls. It had been a bit of a nice distraction during the autumn rains and the cold of winter, on nights when she couldn't go out in the open cockpit of her cloudhopper. But now that they were seriously discussing betrothal and they had a more or less willing victim standing at attention in the hall ready to follow orders... It made Melaana feel a little sick, no matter what she told her brother about how it would all work out.

She sighed. She wouldn't worry about that now. Spring had come. Preflight checks were done and she primed the engine. She couldn't help the fact that the windows were open in the entrance hall of her family's house and that they would most likely hear her preparing to take off. And so there they were: Mother and Father and Dane's parents followed by the Lieutenant himself with a smirk on his handsome face.

Father was calling to her. "Melaana Ophelia Rash get back here this instant! You knew today was the day..."

She shook her head and cupped her ear as if she couldn't hear him over the engine. Then she yelled, "I'll be back in time for supper!" pulled her piloting helmet on over her hair, and pulled back on the stick to take to the air.

And with that she felt like she could breathe again. She didn't have any itinerary in mind. Maybe she would head out to the cave where she had once left her overly amorous instructor. She had found since then that it made a marvelous hideout. She didn't have to be an heiress ripe for the picking when she was there. She could just read or watch holos about ships and star charts. Someday she'd be out there in the galaxy, free.

It happened so fast that the proximity sensor didn't even have time to warn her. Something clipped her wing. It didn't do any damage but the jolt did force a scream from her throat.

"Sorry about that?" she heard a voice yell over the sound of her engine and the wind, but she hadn't heard the engine of any other craft.

Then she heard the shrieking cry of an animal as a fully grown ruping dropped down in front of her and she had to jink hard to the side to avoid a collision. The rider on the animal's back pulled hard on the reigns and tried to bring it under control.

Melaana laughed. "You wanna race, Boy?" she yelled. She had had enough pets of various species to realize that the beast just wanted to play. She leaned into the throttle and enjoyed the sensation of speed, glancing back to see the animal's gliding turn before it began to rise and fall with each powerful wing beat.

She backed off just a bit on her speed and watched with amazement as the creature took the lead. She had read about them, seen them in the distance, but this was the first time she had ever seen the majesty of a ruping in flight at this close a range. Then the rider caught her eye and she completely lost her concentration. He smiled at her and she lost several meters of altitude. Her heart raced and she forced herself to focus back on her flying.

There was a clearing up ahead so she brought the cloudhopper in for a landing. She watched as the ruping and his rider circled around and joined her on the ground. it didn't take near as long for the young man to slide off of his mount as it did for her to extricate herself from her belts and helmet.

He hurried over just as her face emerged. "Are you all... right?"

"I'm fine." She climbed out of the small vehicle and the young man took a step back to give her some room judging that she didn't need his help. "That was some pretty fancy flying."

"I was mostly just along for the ride." He looked down modestly and gestured back at the creature behind him. "I'm sorry if we got in your way, Miss..."

"Mel. You can call me Mel, and you are..."

"Brem, Bremon, that is Bremon Kira actually." He glanced up and gave her a quick shy smile.

Melaana was enchanted and a little nervous and so she did what she always did when she got nervous and put on her outgoing, flirtatious, socialite mask. "Well, Brem, Bremon Kira actually, it's very nice to meet you." She was sorry at once because he blushed and turned his fascinating green eyes away from her. If he was one of the boys who attended mother's parties she wouldn't have cared. She would have enjoyed egging him on unmercifully. She would have to be careful about teasing this one. She wanted more than anything right now for him to like her.

The ruping got tired of their lack of attention then and shoved Bremon with it's beak-like snout. Melaana was only saved from being crushed against her cloudhopper by the young man quickly reaching out to brace himself against the hull. They both froze. His hands either side of her and their faces only centimeters apart.

"I guess he doesn't like to be ignored." She gave him a small honest smile with no hint of teasing in it.

"No, no he doesn't." Bremon backed up carefully trying not to touch her but allowing a shy grin of his own.

Melaana gave him his space as she skirted around him toward the animal. "And what is he called?" she asked raising a tentative hand and allowing the reptavain to take in her scent.

The young man seemed more comfortable discussing the beast and he came to stand next to her, watchful to make sure that both the girl and the animal were safe in the interaction. "He's Frayl."

"Frayl?" Melaana smiled when he nosed at her hand as if asking to be petted. "He's anything but frail. He's magnificent."

"He seems to like you too." Bremon put a hand on the creature's neck but it turned its head and pushed the young man away preferring the attention of the girl. Frayl rolled his great eyes and nosed at her hands again.

Melaana laughed. "Why ever was he called Frayl?"

Bremon massaged at the arm the ruping had shoved but he didn't seem to be hurt, maybe just his pride. "His egg fell from the nest and cracked before he was able to push himself out of the shell properly. That's usually their first test of strength. So he was hatched before any of his brothers and sisters but the smallest one of the bunch. He had to prove himself."

"Looks like he made up for that poor start. Didn't you, Frayl?" She pet him affectionately and he responded with a happy whine.

"He might let you ride him. If - if you'd like to try."

"Could I?" Melaana lit up. "I - I would love to!" She rubbed her hand up and down Frayl's snout and between his eyes. "Would that be okay with you?"

The beast shuddered with pleasure, spread his wings wide so that they almost filled the clearing and then drew them back in.

"Just come around this way." Bremon lead her around the left side and gave her a boost up into the saddle that was secured just behind the wings. Then he hopped up behind her still being careful to give her enough personal space but his arms went around her as he reached forward to grab the reigns.

"Where do I..." she didn't get to finish her question she squealed as Frayl took off with a great leap from the ground.

Bremon laughed. He seemed a different person once they took to the air and he didn't seem to mind when the motion of their mount pressed their bodies closer together. "You can hold on to the pommel but don't worry we won't let you fall."

She believed him and settled back for the ride. Melaana thought she was used to altitude and speed but this was something altogether different. Her wild hair streamed out behind her and she took one hand away from the pommel to attempt to sweep it out of the poor young man's face.

Instead he put the reigns in her hand and made quick work of gathering her curls and plaiting them into a simple but competent knot.

"How did you do that?" She asked amazed as he took the reigns back from her.

Bremon shrugged. "Rupings aren't the only animals I tend. Some of them have even more wayward manes than yours."

"Just don't let my mother see you do that. She'll fire my hairdresser in an instant. Or maybe she likes to keep me stuck in a chair for hours while they try to make me look like a lady." She rambled while she watched the jungles go by below them. "I tried to get her to just let me cut it..."

"Please don't. I..." he sounded shy again but she couldn't look around to see his face. "I like it."

Frayl gave an impatient bray and tugged his head to the right nearly pulling the reigns from Bremon's hands.

Melaana took one hand from the pommel and patted the ruping's back between the shoulders. "I haven't forgotten you."

Frayl tossed his head and squawked happily.

After nearly an hour in the air Melaana didn't want to admit how numb her backside had become. She didn't want the ride to end but her new friend brought the reptavian down for a smooth landing in the same clearing where her cloudhopper waited for them.

Bremon dismounted first and then held his hand out to assist her. He was quiet again now that they were on the ground or maybe he was just as unhappy for the moment to end as she was.

She stumbled a bit her as feeling returned to her legs and behind. He steadied her politely but didn't touch her any more than was necessary.

"I had a wonderful time."

"We could do it again tomorrow if you like." He said softly.

"Could we?" Melaana asked excitedly. "If the weather cooperates that would be wonderful!"

Frayl turned his head and nuzzled her side.

"The weather doesn't matter much." Bremon shrugged patting the beast. "Frayl doesn't mind the rain."

She smiled. "Then I'll be here tomorrow no matter what the weather."

He nodded, blushing with another of his shy smiles.

"And I said before that you could call me Mel. Really my name is Melaana, Melaana Rash."

A gleam of humor lit his eyes. "Well, Mel, really Melaana Rash. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow."

Melaana giggled and then before he could object she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Then she turned, climbed into her cloudhopper, donned her helmet so he couldn't see the blush that had risen to her own cheeks, and made ready to fly back home. She glanced back once to see him still touching the place on his cheek where her lips had briefly brushed his skin.


	4. his & hers

Melaana and Bremon each consider their first meeting and how they will move on from here.

* * *

Melaana didn't bother about sneaking back into the house. They all knew she had gone. She set down the cloudhopper in front of the Rash family's personal hanger where they kept all of her father's collection of rare speeders and hopped out, letting an attendant see to the actual parking of her vessel. She frowned back at it for a moment wondering if at some point her parents would decide to lock it up and ground her if they ever felt she was being a little too rebellious.

And then there was mother rushing toward her. She looked Melaana over for injury but finding none seemed as if she might inflict a few of her own in response to the embarrassment that her daughter had caused her that morning. "Where have you been Melaana? And what have you done to your hair? And why my dear girl, do you smell like a barn?"

Melaana put her hand to the braided twist of her hair that had not only held up to wind speed while she was riding the ruping but also to the helmet she had warn while she piloted herself home. "Do you like it?" She hadn't actually gotten a look at herself in the mirror yet to see the effect. She only knew that it was terribly comfortable without any of the loose hairs pulling or poking of pins.

"It... looks very nice." Her mother grudgingly agreed. "I suppose you can cover it while you take your bath and leave it that way for supper tonight. But you must hurry now. The Bonteri's are joining us for the meal and drinks after, although I don't know why after the incredibly rude fashion in which they were treated this morning."

"I'm sorry, Mother." Melaana sighed and kissed her mother's offered cheek. "I'll try not to embarrass you this evening." She caught sight of her brother lurking just around the corner.

"Very well." Mother fretted. "I had the droid draw your bath as soon as we heard you land and your dress is laid out ready for when you finish. My nerves can't take much more of this. I'm going to lie down. I'll see you at supper."

"Yes Mother." She lowered her eyes and waited politely for the woman to float off up the stairs to her own rooms. As soon as she had gone Melaana slumped and groaned. She limped, a little bow-legged toward the stairs. "Come on out, Sani. I know you want to hear the whole story."

Sanjay swallowed a mouthful of whatever he had been munching on and spun the core between his fingers agitatedly. "What have you been doing? She's right you do rather smell like a barn."

"And what have you been doing skulking? Did they find out you aided my escape?" She grimaced. Her muscles were beginning to ache after the unfamiliar use.

"Possibly." He frowned at her.

"Well I met two remarkable gentlemen this morning." She took the stairs slowly and he joined her at the measured pace.

"Two gentlemen?" he took a bite of the remaining fruit.

"Yes," she grinned wickedly. "I rode one of them for nearly and hour while the other one held me in his arms."

Sanjay choked and spat out the bite. "You what!"

She laughed. "I met a beast rider and he took me for a flight on his ruping. He was an amazing, beautiful creature, nothing like flying the cloudhopper, and as I said, perfect gentlemen, both of them." A blush rose to her cheeks.

He caught the look in her eyes. "Hmm. An amazing, beautiful creature?"

"I'm going to see them again tomorrow, Sani. I don't care what Mother and Dad say."

The bath helped some with the aching muscles from the ride but being stuffed into the fancy evening gown was worse than any pain from honest exertion.

Melaana took only small bites of her food at supper. She was hungry but she was afraid she'd burst her lacing if she tucked in the way she wanted too. She was just contemplating how she would make a run on the kitchen for leftovers after she got out of this costume when someone finally saw fit to address her.

"I understand that you had met our son before this morning?" Madam Bonteri asked sweetly.

Melaana looked up at her with what she hoped was a polite smile even though she could hear her father mumbling, "Maybe that's why she didn't think it was necessary to join us when he arrived here."

"The Lieutenant led me to the dance floor for the... Chandrilian waltz I believe it was, at a gathering a couple of weeks ago. It was most agreeable, Madam Bonteri."

Both mothers smiled at the answer and her own nodded at her to try to further the conversation, so Melaana sought for something else to say.

"I understand that Dane is commissioned in the infantry?" She asked as politely as she could.

"That's right." His father boasted. "Top of his class in the officers' academy."

Melaana couldn't help herself. "Being a pilot myself, I generally prefer the areal forces."

All four parents gave her varying looks of shock and dismay while she took a bite of her food and ignored them. She couldn't decide if she was disappointed or not that Dane himself couldn't be here tonight. It was a last minute order from his superior officer that called him in to be the personal guard of the Galactic Senator who was on home on Onderon for her mother's funeral. She supposed that she should have been... what? proud that the young man she was about to be engaged to was a loyal officer doing his duty? He was handsome, nice enough, and from a good family. The Bonteris, with their military ties, were as new to society as the Rashes but it would be an advantageous match for both families.

Still when Melaana really thought about being married, possibly producing an heir, another face popped up in her imagination. Shy smile, sparkling green eyes, shoulder length hair nearly the same color as her own but effortlessly tied back with a leather thong. She smiled in spite of herself while she absently drew ruping shapes with her fork in the sauce on her plate.

"Melaana? Melaana!"

She looked up, wondering how many times her mother had called her name before she caught her daughter's attention. "I'm sorry, Mother."

"We're going through to the lounge for drinks. Your father has said you're allowed one glass of your own but we would like for you to play your flute for our guests."

She grimaced. The small amount of alcohol was no where near an equal reward for playing her instrument.

"Melaana?"

"Yes, Mother." She nodded obediently and followed the woman into the other room.

Melaana could hardly get a lungful of air in her tightly drawn corset but she managed a passable rendition of a patriotic tune that would please her possible future in-laws. She noticed that Sanjay was on his third glass of wine by the time her musical performance was done and she was handed a tumbler of something pink and sparkly that probably didn't contain very much alcohol at all. She sipped it demurely and tried to hold on to the thread of the conversation. It was dreadfully boring though and the adults were mostly talking about her as if she wasn't even there. She might have actually dozed off in her chair if her brother hadn't spoken up in her defense about something or other.

Sanjay's voice was slightly slurred. He obviously hadn't been given the same one drink restriction that she had. "Well, you're not going to force her to get married if she doesn't want to."

Melaana lifted her head, suddenly wide awake, in time to hear her father answer him.

"Son, I believe every person in this room has your sister's best interest at heart."

"But what if..." Sanjay looked as if he was struggling with how to phrase the question. "What if she falls if love with somebody else? What if she's already met someone?"

Suddenly all eyes were on Melaana and her brother's outburst was forgotten as if it were her fault that he had spoken out of turn.

"Have you met someone?" Her mother asked.

"I..." Eighteen or so hours ago she could have answered honestly that no, she had not met anyone who was a more suitable choice than the son of the couple staring at her now. "I don't know... perhaps?"

"Well, what's his name? What family does he come from?"

Melaana wished that they could do this some other time, that it didn't have to be in front of her perspective in-laws, but she answered her mother's question obediently, none the less.

"I met someone called Bremon Kira... but he's not..."

The air in the room seemed to change dramatically in the instant that she said the name.

"You've been in conversations with the House of Kira?" Dane's father asked.

"I wasn't aware there were any heirs to House Kira left." Said his mother.

"When did this happen? When did you meet him?" her own mother asked.

Melaana stuttered, confused by the reaction. "I... I just met him today. Why? What - what's wrong with the House of Kira?"

Her father who seemed calmer than the rest and perhaps he was now calculating what this new information could mean for their family spoke. "The House of Kira is an ancient Onderonian family. They were originally beast riders who married into the royal family hundreds of years ago and then faded back into obscurity. It was said that the wildness of the jungles and the beasts they tamed couldn't be bred out of them."

Melaana almost smiled, thinking of Bremon's gentle treatment of Frayl and how he spoke of the other animals he tended but she managed to keep her face neutral. "Well I only just met him. I don't know anything about his family. It's not like we promised each other anything." Though they had promised to meet again tomorrow and the idea of it thrilled her.

The Bonteri's both seemed to calm a bit at her words and her father assured them. "You see there is nothing to worry about. As I said, the House of Kira has all but died out. If this boy is even of the original bloodlines it doesn't matter because my daughter only was introduced to him as a passing acquaintance. It's not as if she'll ever be seeing him again..." And with that they returned to leaving her out of the conversation.

When Sanjay caught her eye however and raised his brow in question, she knew that he knew that she wanted nothing more in the galaxy than to see Bremon again.

* * *

"What do you think, Frayl? Do you think she liked us?"

The ruping gave a trumpeting call that was probably as much for the fact that Bremon was giving him an after flight rub down and the tone of his voice as it was for the actual words. Although the beast was extraordinarily smart. Sometimes it almost seemed like he did understand what his rider was saying to him. He was also a great judge of character and he had liked Melaana from the start.

"She did say she would come and see us again tomorrow."

Frayl nodded his big head up and down in agreement and Bremon smiled but the expression soured almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"So you've met someone?"

"Yes, Uncle." Bremon knew better than to even try to keep any secrets from the man who had raised him after his parents had died. His uncle always figured out the truth eventually by whatever methods. His uncle claimed to have gained power through Sith sorcery. Bremon didn't know if that was true but he had experienced some pretty strange things centered around his uncle over the years that lead him to believe that there was more to the man than just the physical human existence.

"And you're going to see her again?"

"I - I hope so. She's... nice." He didn't look his uncle in the eye, didn't want him to see how powerfully he had been affected by just being near the girl for a couple of hours.

"That's good." The older man patted him on the shoulder. "I'm glad you've found someone who shares your interests who you can spend some time with."

Bremon looked at him, a little confused. There was no talk of fate or prophecies. His uncle just seemed to be honestly happy for him. "Really? I mean er... thanks."

"You're meeting her again tomorrow?" Uncle Nadd backed a couple meters away from the ruping. Frayl wasn't particularly fond of the human either.

"If she can." Bremon resumed rubbing down the animal.

"What is she like?"

"She..." he couldn't help but smile. "Her family is Rash." They both were aware that it was an important name in Iziz. Not that either of them mingled in society. Bremon wasn't fond of crowds and his uncle seemed to believe he was on a higher plane of existence than the general masses. "but she likes to fly. She's a pilot, a good one, gave Frayl a good chase. Didn't she, boy?"

Again the animal seemed to nod and rolled his large eyes.

Uncle Nadd, he called himself Nadd and insisted that others did also but that wasn't his given name, frowned. "You'll have to be careful around the girl's family. They could make things difficult."

Bremon wasn't sure what his uncle meant by that, difficult to pursue a relationship, or difficult for his own plans for Bremon's future. His uncle had always had some idea of Bremon's fate. There was a prophesy said over him as a child. Just remembering the dark, cold place and the darker, colder words, chilled him even though it was now a warm, sunny day.

Frayl whined and shook all over as if he too felt the chill. Bremon patted him reassuringly.

"I'll be careful, Uncle. I don't want to make trouble for her with her family. I just..." he shrugged. He had only just met the girl. He hardly knew anything about her. "I just want to get to know her better."

"Then you shall." Uncle Nadd nodded. "And when she is ready, you'll introduce her to your people."

"I was thinking of introducing her to some of the other animals," Bremon said excitedly, but he could almost hear his uncle's eyes roll.

"You believe an heiress wants to slog around with dalgos and fambaas?"

"Why wouldn't she? She likes Frayl." Bremon grinned. He felt more comfortable around the non-sentients as most people called them. Though he knew them many of them to be better companions than humanoids.

Uncle Nadd sighed. "Well, I for one would like to meet her if you find her so interesting. You should invite her to the summer fete."

The Fete was a yearly gathering of the clans who had once been known as beast riders before they moved to the cities and civilization.

"That's still weeks away." Bremon frowned. He had no idea if Melaana would still be his friend after tomorrow's meeting, that is if she came at all.

"She will come," Uncle Nadd said in that mystical voice that he sometimes adopted as if he knew things that mere mortals were not capable to understand. Then he looked up at the shadow of the demon moon. Bremon hated when he did that. It reminded him of his one visit there...

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask her."

Frayl nudged his rider with his snout encouragingly.

"The worst she could do is say no."

"But she will not." The older man straightened up, sounding more human and annoyed. "I have a feeling she will be as interested in your family and culture as she is in your pets."

Frayl snorted.


	5. Rain

one more about Mel and Brem and then I promise I'll get back to Soniee. So this is like their second date. enjoy!

* * *

Melaana was the first one up in the morning, most likely because of her one drink limit the night before. She looked out her bedroom window toward the hanger and it seemed as if there wasn't any extra guard placed to keep her from taking out the cloudhopper.

She dressed quickly in another flight suit, this one the red color of her family's house. Then she grabbed her boots and hurried to her customary getaway window. She was out of the house and in the cockpit in another few minutes and then she was in the air.

If the sound of her engine woke anyone and sent them running to the window to witness her escape she wasn't aware of it. She didn't look back. She was only looking forward to seeing Bremon and Frayl again.

Her face broke into a grin behind her helmet as she neared the same clearing where they had met the day before, and she saw that they were already there to meet her. Melaana landed, shut off the engine, and jumped out to meet her new friends.

Bremon greeted her with his shy smile. "Hello." And then the ruping knocked him out of the way.

Frayl trumpeted and Melaana laughed and patted his head between the eyes. "Hello, my friend. Are you glad I came back to see you?"

The huge creature tossed his head up and down in a nod that nearly knocked her over.

"Hey there, big guy." Bremon attempted to reign in the beast. He held out a hand to her, his expression full of concern. "Are you alright?"

Melaana had the breath knocked out of her but she was still smiling. She took the hand that was offered. "I'm fine. He's just a little over excited."

"Are you up for a ride then?" he asked hopefully, looking into her eyes.

She again felt short of breath as she met his gaze. "That's why I came."

His grin was like the sunrise as he led her around to mount. "Here. Wait a moment." He spun her around and once again secured her hair into a neat knot. Then he turned her back to face him.

"Thank you," she said. "You'll have to teach me that."

"I don't mind doing it," he answered and then he blushed.

She looked away, not wanting to embarrass him and noticed the color of the sky. "Pink." she said.

"What's that?" he turned to look.

"Doesn't that mean rain?" she asked.

"We'd better get up in the air while we still can."

She nodded and allowed him to help her into the saddle.

They were mostly quiet as they flew. Occasionally one would try to start up a conversation but the other would answer with a short, nervous yes or no and then they would laps back into silence. The change came with the weather. It didn't gradually start to sprinkle and then increase to a gentle shower. No, it was a sudden cloudburst that soaked both riders and ruping in a matter of minutes.

Melaana let loose a gleeful shriek and then couldn't stop giggling.

"I take it you don't want to stop then?" Bremon asked and she didn't think she imagined that he held her a bit tighter. Perhaps he was afraid that she would slip off in the wind.

"Never!" she called. "This is glorious?"

He chuckled, a deep sound that vibrated through her and wormed her to her toes even in the cold, wet storm.

"Alright then. Hold on!" And he really let Frayl go. The ruping dipped and rose and twisted and rolled all the time calling his defiance to the sky.

Melaana never once felt afraid. Bremon was holding on to her tightly and Frayl for all his freedom and exuberance seemed to always be aware of his passengers and their safety.

It was all perfectly wonderful until the lightning flashed in the distance.

"That could cause a problem." Bremon's voice held a ring of alarm. "Frayl's fast but I'd rather not test him against lightning."

"I think you're right." Melaana looked around and tried to get her bearings. They were far from the clearing where her cloud hopper was waiting but... "I think I know of someplace where we can wait it out."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yes." She placed her hands over his on the reigns and together, without her having to give spoken directions, they guided Frayl to her own secret cave hideout.

"I had no idea this place was here," Bremon said, amazed when they had landed the opening of the cavern that was just large enough for Frayl to get out of the pouring rain.

Melaana slid out of the ruping's saddle and hurried back further into the darkness of the cavern. "I found it about a year ago," she called back over her shoulder as the gloom swallowed her.

Bremon nearly panicked. He slipped off Frayl's back and debated running after the girl. But she had said she knew this place. It was just his aversion to being under the ground in the cold and dark that was feeding his fear. He called out to her trying to keep his voice steady. "You um said you landed your cloudhopper in here?" And then he saw a light coming out of the darkness from where she had disappeared and he sighed with relief.

"I've done it loads of times. It's a tight fit but not unmanageable." she smiled in the light of the glow stick she had brought back with her. "Welcome, Bremon Kira to my secret hideaway!"

He smiled too and then he looked away from her, cheeks flaming. Her soaking flight suit was plastered tight over the curves of her body and suddenly he worried that his own clinging garments might give away exactly how seeing her like that made him feel. He turned towards the ruping and stuttered, "I - I sh-should give Frayl a rub down."

If she noticed she didn't let on. "I can get a fire going while you do that. I've got everything we need." As she worked, Melaana did wonder why he was acting strangely.

She had decided that she was going to tell him the truth about her pending engagement. She figured that if it didn't matter to him then that was all there was to it. She would do just as her parents wished. She would marry Dane and remember this as one happy day. But if Bremon was bothered by it, if he didn't like the idea of her betrothal...

"I was thinking you might want to meet Frayl's brothers and sisters and some of the other creatures I look after." It wasn't quite a question and he never took his eyes off the animal while he said it.

"I would like that very much." she answered.

"Tomorrow then?" he asked.

"I think that would..." she began but he interrupted her.

"And maybe you could join me for the Summer Fete?"

"Summer?" she asked and then just spit it out. "If I'm not married by then I suppose..."

"Married!" he spun around to face her and hardly noticed when Frayl cuffed him over the head with one wing, annoyed that his rub down had been cut short.

So he was bothered and Melaana's heart leaped. "Well yes," she tried to sound nonplussed. "My parents have been negotiating my betrothal."

"And you have no say in the matter?" Bremon asked deflecting another swipe from the ruping's wing.

"Well I suppose if I outright refused... The first man they considered was an old widower." She didn't think it was just the fire she was building that was making her cheeks grow warm. She gave a short laugh. "I told them I'd rather sell myself to the Hutts."

"Stop it, Frayl!" Bremon gave the offending wing a swat, and the ruping snorted. Then the young man cast around for some way to make himself useful to Melaana. "And this new consideration is better?" He saw a stack of blankets, grabbed one, shook it out, and wrapped it around the girl's shoulders.

It was such a thoughtful gesture that Melaana stopped a moment before she continued her speech. "He's closer to my age, a Lieutenant, handsome I suppose..." though not as handsome in her opinion as the young man who was now rubbing down her shoulders and arms with the blanket to warm her.

"But you don't... you don't love him?"

"I hardly know him. We only danced together once at a party."

"And one dance is enough to build a lifetime on?"

Melaana looked back over her shoulder at him. "And I suppose two flights on a ruping is?"she asked.

Frayl trumpeted, nodding his great head.

Bremon looked back at the beast and smiled before answering. "Maybe not two, but eight or ten, and maybe a visit to their paddock. Maybe a visit to the dalgos barn as well and - and then maybe this summer a trip to the Fete?"

"It sounds like you've given this a great deal of thought." She said quietly.

"I guess I have. When something is important to me I like to consider it carefully and make sure whatever I decide is the best possible option."

A year ago Melaana was alone in this cave with another young man and she couldn't have felt more different now than she did then. In some ways she would have liked for Bremon to take her in his arms and kiss her passionately. But he wouldn't do that. Not yet at least. It wasn't him. And maybe someday when they had been married for like fifty years it would drive her crazy that he was so patient and careful but she also liked that about him. It made her feel safe and cherished. And what was all this business about wondering what things would be like when they were an old married couple? She had only met him yesterday.

"Melaana?"

"Hmm?"

"The rain's stopped. We can go back out and fly some more if you like."

"Yes," She sighed coming back to the present. "Yes I'd like that and I think Frayl would too." She added going to the creature with the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders and petting him affectionately.

"Good." Bremon gave a shudder. "I've always liked being out in the air better than... caves."

Melaana looked at him, concerned. "Why's that?"

He helped her into the saddle while he tried to explain. "There's this place my uncle likes to go. It's deep under the city. He..." This was it. She was probably going to hate him after he said it. "He believes in the old religion."

"Do you believe in it?" she asked looking back at him while he mounted behind her.

"Well, no. I - I don't think so. Though I have seen some strange things."

"Well that's good," she said cheerfully. "Because I'm not going flying with your uncle. I'm going flying with you."

The ruping whined.

"And with you, Frayl." She grinned.

Bremon put his arms around her again to take the reigns and they were off in the air. They were quiet but this time it was a comfortable quiet. They would always have time to talk about things. For now they would just enjoy racing through the sky together.

* * *

The next morning when she woke, was it morning? The sun was already pretty high out her window. Her sinuses ached and she could barely breathe. What was it mothers were always saying about catching a cold from being out in the rain? Well Melaana had caught one and all she could think of was the fact that she had kissed Bremon on the cheek again when she had left him to climb into her cloudhopper. What if she had gotten him sick? And was he waiting for her in the clearing now? She had promised that she'd go with him today to see his animals.

She threw back the covers and started to sit up but she felt awful. She ached all over and she was pretty sure she had a fever. Mother entered and bustled around the room. "You're not going anywhere today, young lady."

"But Mother I promised." Her voice came out as a croak and she rubbed her throat.

"Tea." Her mother said simply and a droid appeared as if by magic setting a tray on the bedside table. "And then you will stay in bed all day. It's only fortunate that the Lieutenant is on assignment while you've taken ill. He'll be finished up with that by the time you're well again and the proper courtship period can begin."

Melaana tried to protest but her throat just hurt too badly and the droid was pushing her back down into the bed and handing her the cup of tea. And the warm liquid did feel a little better and the pillows felt soft and welcoming. There must have been some kind of herb or spice in the tea as well because she felt quite drowsy after she had finished it. Without too much coaxing she gave in to sleep.

Hours later she woke again. It was a sound that woke her, something familiar and comforting but she knew it shouldn't have been. It was a ruping call. Even though she still felt achy and stuffed up, Melaana rose from her bed and went to her window. The sun was going down. So she had spent all day in bed. As she looked toward the western wall of the city however she saw a shape silhouetted against the sunset. It was unmistakably Frayl. He spread his wings out wide and then drew them back in. Melaana opened her window leaned out and waved in his direction. As soon as she did a smaller shape hopped off of his back onto the parapet. He also waved or he seemed to. A small shape just a speck and then it grew larger as it flew toward her, and a smaller avian came to rest on her windowsill and held out a rolled piece of flimsy in it's beak.

Melaana took it and unrolled it and there in tightly scripted runes was what Bremon had thought must have been a very urgent message indeed.

Melaana,

Are you alright? I've been so afraid that you got into trouble because of me, that they had locked you up so you couldn't get away, that they had already forced you to marry. Please send me a note back right away. If you wish to be rescued, I'll come myself right away or I'll send Frayl. You shouldn't have to marry that Lieutenant if you don't wish to. You shouldn't have to marry anyone. Unless

If you just want me to leave you alone that's fine too. I'll go and I'll never bother you again. I just waited all day for you and I had to have an answer.

Bremon

Melaana read the note and then read it again and she leaned out the window and tried to signal to him to wait for her reply. She just had to find a scrap of flimsy and a pen to write him back. She could have written on the back of his message but it was too special to her, his handwriting, his words. Her journal was the closest thing and it was precious to her also but this was more important. She tore out a page from the back and wrote.

Bremon,

I promise it's nothing so dramatic. I have a terrible head cold and I've been in bed all day. I wanted to come and meet you again and see Frayl and his brothers and sisters. Please tell him I'm sorry. I was afraid I might have passed the illness on to you since I -

So you see no rescue is required but I hate that I missed out on a day with you and your creatures. Soon, as soon as I'm well again, I do want to go with you to see them. Thank you for your concern.

Melaana

She rolled up the sheet, gave it to the avian, and shooed him back to his master.

Bremon welcomed his messenger back and took the sheet of flimsy from its beak. Frayl nudged him as if wanting to read over his shoulder. "She's okay, boy. She's not being punished. She's just sick. Frak, we shouldn't have kept her out in the rain!"

Frayl shook all over and gave a little growl.

"No, I know it's not your fault. I'm not blaming you. I blame myself." He looked longingly back at the window where he could still see her looking back at him. He was almost hoping he could make a daring rescue. It was nothing like the carefully calculated courtship that he was planning but there was something romantic about the idea of just sweeping her off her feet.

He waved again toward her and then hopped on Frayl's back. "What do you say we fly by just once?" They weren't supposed to. It would frighten the city dwellers, but he would have done it in a heartbeat if it meant getting Melaana out of danger. Just now he was feeling reckless. He gave Frayl what was really more of a nudge than a kick and they flew up and over the city, right past Melaana's window.

She grinned at them and waved and she would have called out if she had any voice.

"Soon," he, yelled echoing the words from her note. "As soon as you're well again!"


	6. reunion

Giving Soniee and Korike a bit of a honeymoon before everything goes to Haran again.

* * *

in my previous story Korkie met a man in the Oyu'baat named Fenn Shysa who took him away to train him in the ways of the true Mandoade. I have since been informed that Fenn Rau who has appeared in a couple of episodes of Rebels is now considered to be the canon version of Shysa. So the character who is discussed in this chapter is essentially the same character who appeared in the Ashla Spectrum chapters Oyu'baat and Mhi Solus but with his shiny new canon name.

* * *

Slipping out of the deep meditative trance that had been induced by her crystal, Soniee still kept in the back of her mind an awareness of Korkie and Momma's progress in their trip toward Concord Dawn but her focus went to the book in her lap. She noticed now as she began to flip through the pages that there was one sheet that had been torn out and left a jagged edge. Several other loose sheets were tucked in in its place and these were covered with a different style of handwriting. It was made up of the same runes but the script was straighter and thinner.

She still couldn't read it but it reminded her of something. Though it was made up of entirely different characters, it reminded her of her own handwriting when she carefully penned out Mandalorian. And then she noticed something else. At the bottom of each of these loose pages there was a name written in Basic, Bremon. And then it dawned on her and her heart leaped. These were love letters, most likely from her own father. Well it was possible that her mother had a lover she received letters from and that she married someone else, Soniee didn't quite think that was the case.

"Melaana and Bremon." She said the names aloud and tried to imagine the parents she had included in her nightly remembrance since she was a little girl. She traced the text with her finger and searched for the Galactic Standard dates that were inscribed on the tops of the pages. Well, that made more sense. The dates counted down from what she thought was the front of the book. Onderonian must be a right to left language. And then she looked closer at the dates themselves. They began from that first one in the cover, Melaana's 16th life day, and continued in sequence up until the day before Soniee herself was born.

The whole story would be here in these pages if only she could read it. She could tell from the dates that the letters from Bremon began when her mother was 17 and if this was right, she had given birth and ... died a few months after she turned 18. "She was my age."

The crystal seemed to grow warm in her hand. Soniee closed her eyes and turned her focus again to the Force. Momma's fighter was entering the atmosphere, they would be here soon. She thought about going back and meeting them at the garage but then she was sure that they would know where she was. Korkie would know, even though he had never been on the planet before. She would show him the way to go.

Sure enough a half hour later she could sense them coming through the trees toward her. Momma Ordo ran ahead and knelt beside her daughter checking her over for injury. "Son'ika, _Su cuy'gar!_ Bo-katan's people in Sundari found out about Almec sending an escort for you and that they followed you here. Are you okay? We came as soon as we were able. They didn't question my coming at all. It was smart of you to come home. And oh, ner ad'ika, I'm so glad you did.

Soniee hugged her Momma setting aside the book and loose letters. "I'm fine, Buir. I'm glad to be home too." Then she looked over her momma's shoulder and saw Korkie hanging back at the tree line. It had been so long...

Momma realized and took a step back.

"Hello." Soniee said breathlessly and stood to face him.

He stood there in his _beskar'gam_ holding his helmet for a moment and then dropped the bucket, crossed the distance without speaking, and kissed her. " _Haar'chak,_ I've missed you."

He had actually grown a few centimeters and she had to look up at him. "I missed you too."

"I'm here now," He grinned.

"Yes, I noticed." She laughed. "And I..." she stepped back out of his embrace to show him her dress. "I kept it on." It was a little worse for ware considering she had trekked through the woods, examined an old ship wreck, and explored a cave, but he didn't look like he minded.

"Beautiful!"

She reached up to touch his face and caress the auburn beard that made him look older and more rugged. "And I like this very much."

He took that as an invitation to kiss her again and did so thoroughly. "We passed your ship on the way here." He told her when they finally broke apart. "That was your ship wasn't it, the B-7?"

Momma Ordo had picked up the book that Soniee had set down on the ground. She seemed to have just noticed where they all were and what she was holding in her hands.

Soniee nodded at her husband and went to Momma. "I had to know. I found it inside the ship, but it doesn't change anything, you're still my Buir."

Veeka nodded and smiled. "Of course." She handed the book back to her daughter. "Come on back home. I'll make something or..." They both knew she wasn't the greatest cook. "I'll call out for delivery."

Soniee looked over at Korkie waiting patiently for her. "We will come back to the apartment soon but I think..."

"Show me our ship?" He suggested.

"Our ship?" she questioned as he walked back to her, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Didn't you just promise a few hours ago to share everything with me?"

" _Mhi me'dinui an_." She nodded, blushing.

"Well then, when you're through." Momma shuffled uncomfortably but she had a smile on her face knowing that her daughter was happy.

They watched her go and then Korkie pointed to the book. "What's this?"

"It's ... well I think it's my birth mother's journal." She opened it and showed him the inscription on the inside of the cover.

"Melaana. It's a pretty name. But what's this?" he touched the runes on another page.

She shrugged. "Kind of hard to decipher, isn't it? I think they're Onderonian. And look at this!" She pulled out one of the loose sheets. "I think these are love letters from my father."

Korkie took the sheet and smiled. "Bremon?"

She nodded. "Of course I won't know for sure until I can read them. I do want to learn. The dates are everything from her 16 life day up until the day before I was born."

"You'll figure it out." He smirked. "I heard you graduated. Or you will soon enough. You passed your final exam. Congratulations."

"And turning it in led them right to me." Soniee grumbled. "I was so stupid."

"I don't know. They would have found out soon enough anyway and look what you found when you were detoured here." He closed the book and then looked around seeing the wreck she had uncovered from the vegetation. "This is where she crashed isn't it. That's her ship." He squeezed her hand and she remembered.

"I found something else today." Soniee opened her hand and showed him the crystal she had been clutching tightly inside it.

"What is it?"

"I- I don't know exactly. It sort of called out to me in the Force."

"It's some sort of Jedi thing then?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so, but I haven't a clue what it's for, only that... it's mine. It was meant for me. And I feel stronger with it."

"I could feel it too. When you reached out to me a while ago when we were on the way here. I could see you here in this clearing."

Soniee smiled and bowed her head. "Would you like to see our new ship?"

"That's not all I'd like to see."

She giggled.

"And thank you for suggesting the ship rather than..." he gestured back toward the way Momma had gone. "Your Momma is an amazing woman. I mean she raised you by herself but I could have done with out being lectured about how to treat you by my Mother-in-law for the last several hours."

Soniee laughed again, took Korkie's hand in hers, and began to lead him toward their ship. "Did she really, the whole way?"

"I've never said, 'Yes Ma'am' so often in such a short period of time."

"Korkie, kiss me."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

* * *

There were a couple of things Soniee learned straight away about being married. One was that her husband insisted on physical contact with her in some way shape or form every second of the day and night. The second thing was that she was entirely okay with that.

The fact that they were sitting here at dinner with Momma and Babuir made no difference to Korkie. Though hidden by the dining room table, his hand that had begun on her knee had inched slowly up her inner thigh and had her thinking more about what they had been doing an hour ago when he delayed her dressing for dinner after her shower, than what the others were discussing.

"Rau wants you to join the protectors?" Babuir was asking her mother.

"Oh you know he's been asking for years." she waved it away.

"Fenn Rau?" Korkie asked, suddenly interested in the conversation, not that it deterred his attention elsewhere.

"That's right." Momma answered.

Soniee swallowed and swatted Korkie's arm as unobtrusively as possible. "Who is Fenn Rau?" she asked.

Korkie gave her leg one more squeeze and then laced his hand with hers. "He was at our wedding. He's one of the Mandoade who trained me."

Soniee glanced at her Momma. she knew Buir didn't consider the less than a month Korkie had spent with the Mandos as real training. "Was he the one who took his buyce off or left it on?"

"Rau removed his bucket for your vows." said Momma.

"And you knew him?"

Momma nodded. "A long time ago. And then he disappeared. _Cuy'val dar_. We thought he was dead."

Soniee could tell her Momma didn't want to discuss it anymore just now, so she changed the subject. "Then who was the other one who kept his helmet on?"

"That was..." Korkie looked at Momma and she gave him an almost imperceptible shake of the head. "Spar."

The exchange only made Soniee more curious. "Why did he keep his helmet on?" she asked.

"You know we Mandoade don't always have the cleanest hands. He was keeping himself to himself." Momma explained, and that might have been enough if they both weren't acting so suspiciously.

"What did he do?"

"Deserted from the army. That's treason, punishable by death." Korkie finally answered after a few seconds of awkward silence.

Soniee had an idea where this was going. "Deserted from what army?"

Finally Babuir answered, "What your _Buir_ and your _Riduur_ are trying so hard not to tell you is that the man in the helmet was a Fett clone."

"Dad?" Veeka exclaimed.

"What? Soniee is a big girl. I think she can handle the truth."

"We thought... I thought," Korkie cleared his throat. "that after your... experience with the Commander that it might be awkward to see that face while we were saying our vows." He squeezed her hand.

"Yes." she answered quietly. "That might have been uncomfortable." She squeezed his hand back and then didn't feel so bad about bringing the subject back to Momma. "So this Rau wants you to join what exactly?"

Veeka sighed and pushed her chair back a bit from the table. "The protectors. It's an organization to look after our own. It looked too much like Death Watch to me when he first came up with the idea years ago and then I had you to look after but I don't know. Now that you've got Korkie and you're about to officially graduate, maybe I should step back up and do my part for Mandalore. I thought the Civil War had knocked all the fight out of me." she smiled, unexpectedly. "Rau does have a way of making his schemes sound pretty convincing."

Soniee shot a look sideways at Korkie.

Later when they were alone she asked him about it. "You don't think that Rau character and Momma..."

He chuckled a moment pausing only a moment from kissing her shoulder to answer, "I'm sure of it. Maybe not recently but you should have seen her face when they first saw each other at the Oyu'baat. She punched him in the jaw."

She gave a little gasp when he went back to work nibbling at her skin and then tried to continue the conversation. "I knew there was someone who she was fond of during the war but she would never tell me about it."

"He went to train clone pilots but it was all top secret. All the trainers had to leave everything behind, careers, family, friends..."

"And he left behind Momma."

"Soniee, you know that I would never leave you like that." Korkie assured her. "I want to be here for you, for our family."

"Our family?" she asked.

He grinned. "Well, when we have a family, I mean." He kissed her tenderly. "You haven't sensed anything yet, have you? I mean like you were able to tell with Lagos before she even knew herself."

Soniee sighed. "No, I haven't, not yet and I still don't understand what makes you so eager. We have each other and I like this, just the two of us and," her words began to speed up as her feelings spiraled. "and there's a war going on. Do you really want to bring a child in to that? and what if it's like me? What if it has powers that it can't control. I - I can hardly control my own power. How would I ever be able to teach someone else? I know we'd never send our child away to the temple but what good would I be to teach it all the things that..." There was also the recurring nightmare, the one in which she was dying and something else, her child? was dying inside her.

"You're afraid." He realized.

"I...I..." she tried to find words to explain.

"You're trembling." He held her tightly.

After a deep breath she finally managed to articulate. "I'm afraid of jumping into something that neither one of us are ready for."

"Whatever comes we'll face it together." He kissed her again.

Then she broke away and asked something else that had been bothering her. "Did Rau ask you to join the protectors? You have been training with him after all."

"Not yet," he answered slowly and she knew that it was eating him up. "He doesn't think I'm ready. I grew up with pacifists, without a father around. He thinks I'm weak.

" _Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'wadaas'la,"_ she whispered the old proverb _._ "It doesn't matter what sort of father you had but what sort of father you become." She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him in return for all the kisses he had given her. "Is that why you're so anxious to have a child?"

"Maybe a bit," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Some day I'm sure you will be a wonderful father and a wonderful Protector but you don't have to be in any rush to prove it, especially not to me. I already know that you're wonderful."

He gazed at her for a moment and then grinned again. "I really am the luckiest man in the entire galaxy."


	7. the other mother

I was paying so much attention to Melaana, i thought it might be nice to turn the focus to Soniee's other mother for a while. So this chapter starts out with Soniee and then there are three short scenes from Veeka's past.

* * *

Soniee woke to the sound of her freighter's comm system. She smiled at her snoring husband. Well, he should be tired after last night's activities. She placed her hand on her stomach and closed her eyes trying to sense if there was anything new in her own physiology. No, thank the Force! She was fairly sure anyway that they still had yet to conceive a child.

She had to extricate herself carefully from the bed not to wake Korkie. They may have been able to find more comfortable lodging in the town or Momma would have let them have her own room and she would have taken Soniee's old room, but the freighter with it's small cabin and narrow bunk was theirs, the first place they had ever lived in together as husband and wife. Momma understood that they needed to start out in a place of their own.

Soniee pulled on some clothes and slipped down the corridor to the cockpit and brought up the message.

"Representative Ordo," Almec's image bowed with what she couldn't help but think was a little more respect than the last time he had addressed her. Good, he'd learned that he couldn't push her around. "I am sending you this invitation to request that you join us here in Sundari at your earliest opportunity so that we can arrange your commencement ceremony. Lord Maul and I will receive you and your family here at the Palace and your every need will be taken care of during your stay. I do hope that your visit with your mother has been a pleasant one and await your comm to review the arrangements."

She plopped down in her pilot's chair and swiveled it back and forth as a child might do, thinking. Not a moment later however she sensed Korkie coming and swiveled all the way around to face him as he entered the cockpit pulling a shirt on over his head.

"So, what's the news?" he asked taking the co-pilot's seat next to her.

"Time for me to go back to Sundari and face my graduation." she sighed.

"Alright. When do we leave?" He turned expectantly toward the control panel as if they were to leave that very moment.

"Korkie, you can't possibly come with me! I can handle Almec but if he recognized you, if he found out about us."

"You think I'd let my wife fly alone into the jaws of that monster?" He took her hands in his and knelt down in front of her.

"Well, no. I know you want to protect me but..."

"You think I'd miss your graduation?" he smirked. "Your Momma and Babuir will be there for the ceremony."

She frowned worriedly. "They already know about Momma and Babuir and they'll want to put on a big show that I'm cooperating with them."

"So we give them a show." He shrugged.

"I'm just supposed to walk in on the arm of my husband?"

"No, but you are a government official. It wouldn't be out of place at all for you to be surrounded by an honor guard for a state ceremony."

"An anonymous, fully armored, honor guard?" she asked still worried.

"Of course." Korkie assured her. "I spoke with Fenn about it weeks ago. The most famous daughter of Concord Dawn will be escorted by the Protectors of Concord Dawn while she fulfills her official duties in the capitol."

"I thought you said before that he didn't want you to join the Protectors."

He raised his eyebrows at the low blow. "I'm beginning to think that you don't want me there at all."

She sighed. "I do what you to be with me, always Korkie. I never ever want to be parted from you again, but just think of what they could do."

"I promise we'll be careful." He tilted her chin and kissed her. "Besides I think your Momma made it a stipulation that family come first before she would join the Protectors so Rau is pretty keen on insuring your safety."

"They really were... something, I guess." She made a face. It was impossible for her to think of Momma Ordo with any kind of romantic suitor.

* * *

Veeka rolled her eyes. She'd been paired with Rau for flight exercises again. The training missions that required two pilot teams frustrated her to no end. She ached to move on to the solo missions. Just to be alone in a Kom'rk with nobody else to tell her what to do, would have been heaven. Cadet Ordo had a problem with authority. At least that's what it said on her last assessment. She could take orders when they were given by a superior and when they made logical sense but when you were up there flying you sometimes had to make split second decisions and having to debate with a co-pilot or an instructor lost valuable time that could mean life or death in a real firefight.

Fenn smirked at her. "I'm guessing you want to fly point and leave me on gunner position."

"Yeah." She answered shortly, not giving him the dignity of eye contact.

"Well that's too bad for you. They've already made the assignments, and I've got point for the first run."

"What the kriff?" She turned and grabbed the datapad out of his hands. Sure enough, the instructor had slotted her with co-pilot position. "That's osik! I know the ship better. I practically built one just like it back home."

"Maybe they'd consider giving you point if you'd ask nicely."

" _Ne shab'rud'ni_ , Rau."

He shrugged. "Come on, Ordo. You know you can't wait to get me alone."

The truth was that she did find him terribly attractive and that was part of the problem. It was distracting to sit next to him in the small two person cockpit of the training fighters. Did they do this to her just to test her focus? She would treat it as such and ignore him for more than anything other than absolutely necessary conversation. "Right. Let's get this over with."

They were competing with the other teams to see who could dispatch a certain number of targets first. The targets that were further away or more difficult to hit were worth more points.

"You want to play it safe or head strait out for the big numbers?" He asked.

"Are you really asking my opinion? You could just plot whatever course you want and make me follow along."

"Honestly." he nodded. "I knew that you know the ship and you've gotten the best time on this course your last three runs. That's why I requested you for my partner."

"You... requested me?" She turned and really looked at him.

"I wanna win." He smiled at her.

"You mean you wanna score!" one of the other cadets called out behind them.

Fenn glared at the speaker and Veeka felt her cheeks grow warm but she tried to ignore it. She pointed to the datapad and said quietly, "We head straight out and hit these three mid-range targets, loop around and get this one that's a little out of the way and come back by this vector and pick off whatever anybody else has left."

"Sounds like a plan." He was impressed but knew it would be the wrong time to go overboard with praise.

She shoved the datapad at his chest and then whispered so that no one else could hear. "Just line me up in position to take out those points and we'll see what it does for your score." Then she walked off before he could respond and suppressed a grin of her own.

* * *

No one was really surprised when the two of them became an item but no one messed with them about it either. It was all rather straight forward and understated. Ordo and Rau just existed as an entity and no one questioned it mostly because they would have had to tangle with Veeka's fists if they did. The surprising thing was that when the war came and a lot of deep and lasting friendships were torn apart by clan divisions Veeka and Fenn still remained on the same side and they found time in the midst of all the chaos to stay in contact. It was nearing the end of one such meeting when Veeka tried to bring up something that had been bugging her since the conflict began.

"It's just... what are we fighting for if not our way of life? You know the _Resol'nare._ It's - it's not just words."

"I'll give you that," He agreed.

"So then, raising warriors, that's part of it." She pushed on now that she had gotten to the point. "Fenn, I wanna have a kid. I wanna be a buir and pass on the culture to the next generation."

"Veek, you're the very last person I would have ever expected to want to settle down." He hedged.

"This war's gotta end sometime and if we just keep killing each other off who's gonna be left? I want a garage. I want to fix things instead of blasting them all the time."

"You're really great a blasting things."

"Shut up, Fenn. Are you telling me you've got a better offer?"

"To tell the truth, Veek. I might have something else coming up. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

She stared at him, disbelieving, after everything they had been through. Then she turned and started to walk away. "Fine. I guess this is it then."

"Veeka wait. Don't be like that." He followed her and rested his hands on her shoulders.

She spun back around. "Like what, Fenn? Just go take your lifetime opportunity, I won't stop you."

He kissed her so hard it made her head spin. "I don't want to leave you. That's the one thing that's... But I feel like this is something I've got to do."

"I'll miss you." She didn't want him to see her cry. "I'll miss what we could have had." And then she hurried away before he could say any more.

A week later she got the news. Whatever that brilliant opportunity was it must not have been a success. Fenn Rau was dead.

* * *

And then he wasn't. It had been nearly 20 years since she'd seen him last when she walked into the Oyu'baat. Lagos, her daughter's former roommate had told her this is where Korkie Kryze would be. Veeka still wasn't completely sure about her daughter and the Kryze boy. She didn't know how Soniee could possibly know for sure that the boy was not connected in some way with Death Watch. He'd been missing for weeks hadn't made any attempt to contact the girl he'd proposed to. Veeka was determined to give this perspective son-in-law of hers a lecture on how to treat a lady. She had it all rehearsed in her head and then she had walked into the tapcaf and the first thing she heard was his voice.

"Knew the name Ordo sounded familiar. Didn't quite believe she could possibly be your girl. She doesn't look like you. Does she take after her dad?"

"I wouldn't know I never met him," Veeka answered the ghost.

He removed his helmet and she bit back a cry. Fenn was older now but then so was she. "Hello, Veeka."

She shook her head in disbelief and then all the anger and the pain she had felt when he left came flooding back. She drew back her fist and cracked him in the jaw. "You were supposed to be dead!"

"Oww!" he rubbed his jaw but he didn't make a move to retaliate. "Is that what you wanted?"

"You know it's not, di'kut."

"Look Veek, I know I deserved that." He smiled and then grimaced "Or at least I should have seen it coming."

She glared at him. "Why did you go?"

"Jango asked." He shrugged. "Said he needed trainers for a new army. So I was raising up warriors in a way. Just like you always talked about."

"Well, you should have sent me a forwarding address so I could have sent you and Jango a card." She turned away from him. She knew she had to pull it together, focus on Soniee. This was her daughter's day. Why did he have to show up and ruin it?

"I'm sorry. I made a decision and maybe it was the wrong one. Maybe I should have stayed and we could have made a go at it. Seems like you did alright for yourself though. Korkie told me you got that garage you always wanted and you raised a smart, beautiful daughter. He never shuts up about her."

"Son'ika's the best thing that ever happened to me, and he had better treat her right or he'll have me to answer to."

"I know. I warned him." Rau smiled.

Veeka turned back to face him. "Did you teach the kid anything useful?"

"Only had a couple of weeks but it was a start. He wants to learn. He wants to take care of your girl."

"Maybe he'll learn something from your mistakes."

Rau grinned. "We can only hope."


	8. well enough for visitors

Melaana has gotten over her head cold and she's ready to get back to normal activities, if she can get past her mother.

* * *

A week! It had been whole week since she had seen Bremon. Seeing him perched on the west city wall with Frayl or when her two gentlemen swooped by her window occasionally to say hello, didn't count. Melaana wanted to be out there with them. She loved the letters they had been able to exchange by the little winged messenger and she knew she would treasure them always, but it still wasn't the same as hearing his voice.

Mother had laid down the law. Melaana was not to be allowed to leave her room until her fever had stayed down for a full 24 hours. Tonight she would finally be let out of her prison. She knew what she would do. She would race straight to her cloudhopper and meet him in the clearing. It didn't matter how much daylight there was left. The days were getting longer as summer neared and she would spend as much time with Bremon as she could on her first night of freedom.

She had sent him a message to tell him that very thing this morning and now the minutes seemed to drag by while she waited. She had her flight suit, blue this time to match her eyes, laid out on the chair. She had brushed out her hair and left it long. Bremon wouldn't mind twisting it up for her when she met him, and she had a little shiver of delight imagining his fingers brushing against her scalp.

But it was not to be. Her own plans were thwarted again by her mother's.

Mother bustled in with the hairdresser in the early afternoon. "We're in luck, Melaana. The Lieutenant was able to take a short leave from his duties for the evening, and just when you are finally well enough to receive him."

"What? But Mother I was going to..." She could hardly tell her mother that she was planning to sneak out of the house.

"You were going to what, dear?"

She sighed, disappointed. "I just wanted to get up in the air again."

"Well I should think not! It was the damp air that made you ill in the first place! Your Father indulged your little hobby long enough but flying is hardly a lady's pursuit." She grabbed up the flight suit that Melaana had laid out on the chair and wadded it into a ball.

Melaana stared at her mother, horrified. "You can't possibly mean..."

"It's time for you to put away the cloudhopper and settle yourself firmly on the ground. Now come and sit. We only have so much time to arrange your hair and get you dressed before the Lieutenant arrives."

She couldn't speak. She walked numbly to the vanity table and sat on the stool before it. Her mother swept back out of the room once Melaana was in the capable hands of the hairdresser.

Well she might not be able to talk back to her mother but she could write. While the hairdresser tugged and pulled and poked her with pins Melaana took out a sheet of flimsy and began an impassioned letter to Bremon.

Oh, Brem!

She says I'm to put away my cloudhopper! She means for me never to fly again! I can't bear it! I can only hope that she didn't really mean it, that father will speak some sense to her. I would call in that daring rescue you planned a week ago if only I didn't believe that she may change her mind if I'm on my absolute best behavior. I won't be able to come and join you in the clearing tonight anyhow. The Lieutenant is coming to dinner. I don't want to have dinner with him. I'd much rather be out flying with you and Frayl. Please forgive me for having to break our plans again.

Yours, Mel

She laid aside the letter. No doubt, the little winged messenger would be along to bring Bremon's reply from her last note. In the mean time, still enduring the taming of her hair, Melaana picked up her journal and confided in it a similar retelling of the awful truth that she had put into the letter. She didn't bother about the tears that fell onto the flimsy pages and the hairdresser didn't seem to notice or care either. She was only doing what she was paid for.

Melaana was too busy wallowing in her own misery to even notice the similar expression of dismay on Dane's face as they were both led into the dining room, were seated in two chairs across from one another, and then left alone. She had thought that it would be a family meal in which the young man would be included. She wasn't expecting a candlelight dinner for two and she was in no mood to try to think of things to say.

So for the entire first course neither one of them said anything. It wasn't until they were being served bowls of steaming soup that Dane took the initiative to break the silence. "I was sorry to hear you'd been ill."

She looked up at him, shocked for a moment and then found her own voice. "Um. Yes. Yes I've been ill. Though, it was nothing worse than a bad head cold. I'm quite over it now."

"I'm glad to hear it." He said politely.

Melaana stirred the soup around in her bowl. Most of the week while she'd been sick her meals consisted of similar broth. It wasn't appetizing at all now. She sighed. "My mother seems to think it was flying in the damp air that brought it on. I don't think so though. I go out flying all the time and it's never been a problem before."

"You're very fond of flying." He observed.

She couldn't help but smile. "There's nothing I'd rather do."

"And you're an accomplished pilot?" He asked seeming interested.

Her brow creased. "I'd like to think so, at least in my cloud hopper. It's not a proper interstellar ship. It has an open cockpit and won't break the atmosphere but I've done a quite a bit of practice on simulations and I know the theory of calculating hyperjumps and the like."

He gave her a smile that continued all the way up to his sleepy eyes. "Sounds like a valuable skill. I would think you've moved beyond the cloudhopper and should have some experience in some other types of ships."

Her eyes opened wide and she gaped at him. "Will you tell my mother that? She's of a mind that it's not a ladylike pursuit and I should give it up altogether."

"I would be glad to."

Melaana looked down into her soup bowl and smiled. She raised a spoonful to her lips and sipped it daintily. It was warm going down her throat and she was feeling better about the proposition of the rest of the evening.

"I heard that your present assignment is guarding Senator Skelari. Did she not require your services this evening?"

Dane had just put a spoonful of his own soup in his mouth. He was in the act of swallowing when she asked her question and choked on the liquid coughing into his napkin before he could answer her. "Er. Yes. The Senator is dining with her father this evening."

"Hmm." Melaana thought she heard something in his voice when the topic of the senator came up. She decided to press the question. "I'm not very well acquainted with Senator Skelari. She was already off to Coruscant before I was introduced into society. Is she... amiable?"

His face brightened and his sleepy eyes seemed to have a new light in them. "She is... very amiable."

"It's an agreeable assignment then, acting as her personal guard?"

"I had hardly even realized that I'd gone a whole week without an evening to myself." He shrugged and went back to work on his soup.

"And tonight she's dining with her father?"

"That's right."

Melaana frowned. "Do you know anything about him?"

"I know that he misses his wife very much. He was thankful that Mina could come home and be with him so that they could mourn her passing together."

He said the name Mina with a wistful air but Melaana had to ask something else. "Do you think he misses her specifically or that he just misses having a wife?" It was probably a terribly disrespectful thing to ask.

"I think he loved her if that's what you mean. I don't think he would be in a hurry to replace her."

Melaana nodded with a small relieved sigh and looked up to see Dane staring at her questioningly. "Before my parents approached yours, they had thought of..." she blushed and then hurried on. "They had thought a marriage to the Barron would be a profitable match."

"Ah." He picked up his wine glass and swirled the liquid within it. "And you're worried that if things don't work out between you and I that they might re-visit their previous idea."

"Well sort of." she frowned and watched as he took a sip of his wine and savored it's taste. "but I told them if they ever force me to marry anyone that old I'd sell myself to the Hutts."

Dane laughed, spraying the mouthful of wine halfway across the table.

"I apologize." she said though she was smiling.

"No please don't," he also grinned after wiping his mouth with a napkin. "If you can keep making me laugh like that for the next fifty years our marriage might not turn out so bad after all."

Her smile melted and she picked up her own glass to take a sip.

"Look, Melaana. I'm a soldier. I'm given an order and I follow it. If our families think it's best for you and I to marry, I will be the best husband I can be. I will be loyal to you and I will do my duty. But I..." He looked down at his soup bowl and then back into her eyes. "I am not now and I don't see myself ever... falling in love with you."

She nodded. She appreciated his honesty.

"Don't get me wrong, I think you're a lovely person and I don't mind spending time with you..."

"No, no." She smiled. "I feel the same. I've never wanted to go against my parents wishes." She rolled her eyes. "Except for maybe going flying when they want me to be home to meet a suitor."

He grinned. "So we'll be good as long as I'm okay with you taking to the air anytime your heart desires."

"Something like that."

The soup course was cleared away and the rest of the meal passed with companionable conversation. Her parents joined them in the entry hall when it was time for them to say goodnight. As if it wasn't already awkward enough. Dane looked as if he wasn't sure if he should give her a kiss. Finally she offered her hand but instead of just shaking it he bent and brushed his lips against her knuckles.

Her mother gave a happy cry and then covered her mouth with her hand.

Dane winked at her and then he left.


	9. back in the palace again

Soniee is headed back to Sundari for her graduation ceremony and her accommodations are... familiar.

* * *

Padme sent her a comm of congratulations and good luck. The senator was still enmeshed in the drama of the Republic's banking woes and she sent her regrets that she couldn't attend the commencement ceremony. Lux commed as well and much to Korkie's annoyance sent his love. It was only in jest of course but the public pretense of their relationship was still running rampant in the media and it was as good a cover as any to keep Korkie's identity a secret. Of course Lux still didn't know that and in a private message later he let her know that Fox was still pining.

Soniee couldn't tell any of them that she was married now. She supposed that she could have confided in Padme, but she was never be completely certain of the security of the comm connection so she didn't want to chance it. Soon enough Maul or publicly Almec would probably want to send her back to Galactic City in her official capacity as representative of the system to inform the Senate of their continued hope to remain neutral in the war.

It was all a complete load of _osik_. She knew that now without a doubt. Almec held no power whatsoever and Maul, although he stayed behind the scenes was no pacifist. He must have his reasons for keeping up the pretense. Bo-Katan and Fenn Rau had been encouraging her the past few days to continue to play her part and try to discover what she could.

Fenn and his Protectors had agreed to play her personal honor guard while she made her appearances in Sundari. Korkie helmeted an armored in their colors would also stay as close as he could for the duration. She hadn't been able to dissuade him from the plan.

So here she was, at last, descending the landing ramp in a dress that had once belonged to the duchess and styled as the duchess would have been for formal occasions. Apart from her brown hair and green eyes, she might have looked like a ghost to the Prime Minister who stood to meet her flanked by the Mandos in red and black armor who were now calling themselves Super commandos, whatever that meant. She saw the one with the horns on his helmet. He'd been at the hanger the day they had attempted to rescue Korkie's mother. He'd given the order for one of his men to 'finish' Korkie but he hadn't seen Soniee use her power to save him. Still she wondered how much Maul had told him. If the knowledge of her power affected the security procedures, she had to assume that the horned commando had been informed of exactly what she was capable of.

"Welcome home, Representative Ordo," Almec gave her a deep bow. He looked paler than she had ever seen him and the stress of dealing with his puppet master was noticeable in the deep lines on his face. He glanced at the protectors that stood on her left and right and followed closely behind her. "It wasn't necessary for you to provide your own security."

"Oh, Prime Minister," Soniee smiled. "I know that _you_ would make sure that anything I should need would be within my _grasp_." She took a certain amount of pleasure at the way he swallowed anxiously. "It's just that the people of Concord Dawn are rather protective of one of their own. They insisted that I have a proper escort."

"Indeed." he nodded stiffly. "Rooms have been prepared for yourself and your honored guests in the palace."

She nodded regally and followed as they were led through the halls and past chambers that had once been home to Satine. Korkie had once had his own suite here as well for whenever academy classes were not in session. It was to these rooms that Soniee was led now. Her hand absently went to the crystal that she now wore as a pendant on a chain around her neck. It was tucked down the front of her dress but she could still feel its power and she drew on that power now, silently reminding Korkie to not give away the fact that he knew the place.

When they stopped before the door, Fenn and his Lieutenant took up positions to either side.

"Thank you," Soniee nodded toward her guide and then she entered followed by her other two escorts. Korkie almost took his helmet as soon as the door shut behind them but Bo stopped him doing a sweep of the chamber for listening and other monitoring devices before she gave him a nod and also removed her own.

"You did alright back there, Ordo." Bo gave her a rare smile. "I didn't quite believe before that you had choked Almec but based on his reaction I doubt he will be giving you much trouble."

Soniee sat down a little shaky after holding her composure for so long. "Thanks. I don't think it's going to be that easy with Maul."

Korkie was walking around his old room, shaking his head. "It's surreal being back here."

"Everything checks out as secure in here." Bo told them. "Your mother is just down the hall and so is your granddad. And one of us will be in the room with you at all times unless you want us to step outside so you can have some privacy."

Soniee and Korkie looked at each other and she blushed.

"Well I don't have to guess who you'd like to have in here primarily. Just remember you've got a dinner to be at tonight and you don't want to be late for that. I'm going to go and see what I can find out about those guards."

"Alright and thanks again." Soniee watched her exit the room and then looked back at Korkie.

He crossed the room and took her hands in his. "Do you have any idea how I use to dream about sneaking you up here?"

"This wasn't meant to be our honeymoon."

He laughed, pulled her up to stand close to him and kissed her. "Why not take advantage?"

She smiled indulgently at him. "Maybe after dinner. You need to let me keep my mind on business for a little while at least."

"I suppose I could manage to hold out that long." He ran his hands up and down her sides. "But then I want the pleasure of sleeping with my wife on a real bed that's big enough to maneuver on."

"I thought you liked our little cabin on the B-7."

"Oh I most certainly do but then again I'm partial to anyplace I can get you alone to have my hands on you." He pulled her close. "and my mouth on you..." he kissed her. "and my..." he was interrupted by a familiar mechanical voice.

"I am so glad you have finally arrived, Mistress Soniee." 1K0 waddled out of the walk-in closet. "And you Master Korkie, I should have expected that you would be here as well."

Soniee laughed. "Yes, 1K0. You know Master Korkie wouldn't let me out of his sight for too long. No one is supposed to know he's here though."

"I will not tell anyone, Mistress. They would not listen to me anyway. No one ever does. It is nearly time for you to choose your gown for supper, though. If you will come with me. We were not able to pack the entire selection but I do believe we can find something that would be appropriate for the occasion."

"Ooo! Can I help choose?" Korkie asked excitedly. He followed the droid toward the closet. Soniee watched them go, giggling.

"I assume the Mistress will not require my help to undress after dinner if you are here to assist her, Master Korkie?" 1K0 asked without emotion.

Korkie turned and winked at his wife. "That's the usual arrangement."


	10. what should be and isn't

a daydream and the painful reality.

* * *

There was no war. The four cadets had stood up proud and tall and accepted their diplomas from the hand of the Duchess. And afterward she had given a speech. "I am so very proud of each of you and must now do something that has been too long in coming." She faced the crowd as fierce and alive as ever. "Today I must apologize to someone very dear to me and make amends by revealing that Korkie Kryze is my true son and heir. Forgive me Korkie. I thought I was protecting you, but as you walked across this stage I realized what a strong and capable man you have become."

Korkie hugged her, "No apology is necessary, Mother." And the assembled people of Sundari cheered.

Later the Duchess waited impatiently while Soniee dressed in her old wedding gown. "Does it fit? Oh I do hope it does. I've just been imagining my son's face when he sees you walk out dressed in it."

Soniee twirled. "I can't thank you enough, Your Grace."

Satine hugged her. "Please call me mother. I went long enough without hearing that name from Korkie. Not that I want to take your Momma's place."

Momma was there too, smiling. "Of course not. We both want what's best for our girl."

Soniee walked down an aisle on the arm of a man in a brown cloak, toward Korkie who was waiting for her, beaming. Amis was standing beside him smiling not at Soniee but instead at Lagos who was standing on the other side of the dais with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and her other hand on her round belly. Soniee looked up at the man who was escorting her up the aisle. Master Kenobi's eyes were moist with unshed tears and she sensed the emotions: love and acceptance and pride.

And afterward there was a feast. Satine sat at the head of the table with Kenobi at her right, holding her hand unashamedly.

On his other side Master Skywalker was telling anyone who would listen, "Twins! That's right! That's what the med droid said."

Padme calm and beautiful as always laid a hand on his arm. "We're going to Naboo after this. I want to get started setting up the nursery..."

And Ahsoka was teasing them, something about finally getting them out of the way so she could be free to go back to Onderon. Lux squeezed her hand and grinned.

Momma was a little way down the table arguing with Fenn Rau about something but it seemed to make her happy.

Amis was fussing with Lagos trying to get her to eat something until her eyes lit up and she grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. They both froze in awe, feeling their child kick.

Soniee couldn't be happier.

"This is how it's supposed to be." Korkie wrapped his arm around her.

"Yes it is!"

* * *

This feast was nothing like the one in Soniee's daydream, though she was sitting in nearly the same seat at the foot of the long table in the formal palace dining room. Lounging at the head of it was a being as different from the duchess as one could possibly be.

"Are your accommodations acceptable?" Maul asked.

"Quite comfortable, thank you." She gave the Sith a curt nod and took a sip of her wine.

"Our Prime Minister assured me that those particular rooms would be to your liking." He gestured a long fingered hand toward the old man staring at his plate sitting halfway between the two of them at the long table.

Soniee spared Almec half a glance and didn't let on how uncomfortable it made her to see the once grand government leader reduced to a sniveling wreck. "Oh?" She said inquiringly, stabbing a morsel from her plate with her fork and popping it into her mouth. She had no sense that Maul wanted her dead and starving herself proved nothing to anyone, so she decided to enjoy the food that was put before her.

Maul watched her always for her reactions. He seemed intrigued by everything she did and said, probably looking for weaknesses. "The apartments in which you have been settled were once the private quarters of a friend of yours from the Academy."

Soniee finished chewing and took another sip of her drink before she answered calmly. "Oh you must mean Satine's nephew. We were never really close. He always thought he was better than the rest of us."

She laid her hand to the front of her low cut dress. Her crystal lay hidden just below her neckline and it felt warm against her skin. She could sense Korkie standing behind her chair, tense and ready to spring. She could also sense Bo and Fenn standing either side of him, ready to protect him as surely as they would protect Soniee. She hadn't wanted him to come, afraid his emotions would give them all away. For all her worry however she also sensed something like pride from her husband. Korkie believed she was doing remarkably well under the circumstances and she thought he was holding up well also.

"You did more or less grow up together however?" Maul wondered. "Took the same classes, slept in a dorm room just down the hall. Do you think he ever knew he was living in such close proximity to such a powerful being."

Soniee clasped her hands together in her lap. No one had ever called her a powerful being before. "I was instructed never to let anyone know."

"Ah yes. Your... Buir did not wish for anyone to know of your powers?"

She nodded. "Yes. She didn't want the Jedi to find out about me and carry me away to their Temple."

Maul's smile widened. "A wise woman indeed. So you kept your powers a secret from everyone even when you and your friends rescued your duchess and put your corrupt Prime Minister in prison?"

Almec was just reaching for the salt hoping not to be brought in to the conversation when Soniee levitated the shaker almost out of his hand and drew it toward herself. When it was in her own hand and she had seasoned her own food she answered. "Especially not then. There was a Jedi Padawan assisting us to free the duchess. She would have gone blabbing back to Coruscant."

He nodded. "So you never told anyone and no one ever discovered the fact." He paused and then templed his fingers and tilted his head. "Not even your lover?"

Soniee froze, fork half way to her mouth. She took a moment to collect her thoughts and remember the lies she had already told. Almec was staring at her now too and she could feel Korkie behind her tense. She set down her fork and her hand went again to the crystal under her dress as she attempted to calm both herself and her husband's mind before she spoke. She hoped her words were tinged with grief and not guilt. "Amis. Yes. He... he did suspect. It wasn't till we were alone here in Sundari after all the other cadets had left the Academy, that he confronted me. He said somehow he'd always known that I was special but he said I shouldn't hide it. That I should use my powers to help people."

"Touching." Maul frowned. "So did you, use your powers for good?"

"Yes."

He was interested again. "Please continue."

"I - I," she tried to think of how to spin the tale. "Amis and I found out about the attempt to rescue the duchess so that she could get a message to the Jedi. I didn't want to do it. Amis said it would be like the time we had rescued her before and that if I was ever going to help and use my powers that this was the time."

Maul was listening intently but there was someone else she could sense who was hanging on her every word. She looked over the Zabrak's shoulder and saw the soldier who's helmet shared the same ring of horns. He had taken a step forward and though she couldn't see his eyes beyond the t-shaped visor she knew they were boring into her.

"Go on." Said Maul.

"We followed the Night Owls to the hanger and joined in the shoot out. I was afraid. I screamed and Amis... He looked back to see if I was okay. They shot him. And I just ...I didn't know how... I just shoved them away. One of them hit the wall and the others... a jet pack exploded and they..."

"It was you!" The voice came from the helmet of the man behind Maul and the Sith turned to look back at him.

"That's right you were there the night of the attempted escape, Gar. It was you who brought the wayward duchess back to me." He turned forward again in his chair to address Soniee. "Have you met Mr. Saxon, my dear?"

Soniee felt the emotions swirling around her. Korkie remembered the horned helmet and started to move forward. Next to him Fenn Rau was also seething but he put out a hand to remind Korkie to stay back. And this Gar Saxon, whoever he was, seemed ready to tear Soniee apart. She couldn't guess why.

"No, I don't believe I have." She tried to keep her voice level. She had seen him of course during the battle. She wouldn't soon forget that helmet. She remembered when he and the other soldier had flown off with the duchess. He had called back to the one man left on the platform. He had pointed at Korkie who was lying on the ground. _Finish him!_ Her eyes widened.

"I didn't see her do it but it must have been her." Saxon spat. "My brother never came back. I left him to finish a job and he should have been right behind us. When we found his body, he had taken a blaster shot to the chest but thats not what killed him. Not a sign on him that anyone had touched him, but his throat was mangled. Only time I've seen anything like it is when you've throttled an enemy, Lord Maul. Had to be a Force user who killed him and she's just said she was there."

His words brought it all back, the fear and the anger and the raw power she had felt in that moment. Thankfully she remembered not to mention Korkie's name, but she had risen from her seat without even realizing what she was doing. "I would do it again in a heartbeat if it would bring Amis back!"

Her hand was raised. Almec was cringing. Her guards behind her were moving forward to hold her back, and Maul's face was absolutely jubilant. Saxon's hands went to his throat. She was going to finish him just as he had ordered his brother to finish off Korkie...

And then a quiet voice echoed in her mind, _Soniee, this isn't you. Let him go._

Gar crumbled to the floor, coughing He ripped off his helmet trying to fill his lungs with air.

Soniee dropped back down into her chair and felt a hand descend gently on her shoulder for just a moment before her guards stepped back into their places once again.

Maul looked a little disappointed. "You have a lot to learn, my dear."

* * *

Soniee had no idea afterward how she made it through the rest of the courses of the meal. Maul spoke of his plans for the planet and the system. He also hinted at his desire to train her. He complemented her control and focus and her ability to hide what she was when she needed to stay hidden. He lamented, however, that she didn't have what it took to finish off her enemy when he was in her grasp. She could sense him chipping away at her resistance. It was emotionally exhausting.

All the while the soft voice, Korkie's voice, was whispering to her mind through the Force. She held on to that like a lifeline. When the last course was finished, her guards led her out of the dining room and Soniee practically collapsed into Korkie's arms.

"You think you can manage to get her back to her room, kid?" Bo asked.

"Of course I can. And I plan on staying with her." Korkie answered.

"Going to have a look around?" Fenn asked Bo.

"As long as we're here, might as well see what we're dealing with."

Fenn nodded. "I'm with you then."

Bo laid a hand on Korkie's arm before they went on their scouting mission. "We'll come around and check on you in a while. And don't worry we'll knock first."

"Thank you." Korkie watched them go and then with his arm around his wife he led, without even really needing to pay attention to the direction.

"I'm so glad you're here with me." Soniee whispered.

"I am too."

"Kiss me, Korkie." she said almost pleading.

He was still wearing his helmet and did not dare take it off until they reached their destination.

"I will soon, Love. We're almost there."

As they reached the door, she grew impatient, leaning back against the wall and pulling him against her. He responded and even as one hand went to the panel to enter the code and unlock the door, his other hand pealed off the helmet. He kissed her but then thought he heard something from down the hall they way they had come and looked back over his shoulder. Before he could see if anything was wrong she had reached up and turned his face back toward her own.

Korkie tossed the helmet into the room as soon as the door swished open and aimed both of them into the chamber's welcoming sanctuary. With both hands he began to work on getting her free of her gown, even before the door had fully shut and locked behind them.

* * *

An almost euphoric Gar Saxon knocked at the door of the Sith Lord's chamber.

"What is it?" Maul called out from within.

"My Lord, it's... something I need to show you."

Maul opened the door for the soldier. "This had better be good or next time I'll finish the job myself."

Gar wavered slightly and then held up his arm indicating the holo projector in the gauntlet. "Oh this is good, alright." He started the recording and they saw the girl and her guard arrive at her bedroom door.

"So she had a fetish for men in uniform. She's already proven this with the clone."

"No. It's not that. Look." Gar made ready to pause the image at just the right point in the recording. The young man turned to look be hind him and... "There! Don't you see? It's the Kryze boy. He may have grown out the hair and beard but I'm certain that it's him. She's been feeding us a line about the other boy all this time. This is the one she's trying to protect."

Maul didn't really care. So what if the Duchess took in a brat off the streets and tried to raise him up to be her successor. No one would ever sponsor the boy's claim to take over what Satine had been too weak to hold on to. He grabbed Saxon's arm to shut off the image, and maybe break the arm to make the man pay for interrupting his privacy when the recording started up again. The boy was pushing the girl's gown off her shoulders and something on a chain around her neck caught the light, just before the door shut in front of them.

"What was that?" Maul roughly twisted Saxon's arm the played back the recording again. He paused it at the point when the necklace because visible. "No," he said quietly. "It can't be. But where ever did she get it? Poor thing, probably has no idea what it is."

"What?" Gar bit back a scream of pain as his arm was twisted into an even more uncomfortable position.

"It seems Miss Ordo has discovered a Kyber crystal. We must ask her how she acquired such a priceless gift."


	11. three a m

Soniee wakes up in the middle of the night. One secret is told and another is kept.

* * *

Soniee had fallen asleep in her husband's arms after they made love and then not long after she was awake again and she couldn't get back to sleep. Something felt different. At first she thought there was someone else in the room. She closed her eyes and reached in to the Force but no, they were quite alone. It must just have been the big, unfamiliar room. She had grown used to the small cabin and the narrow bunk that they usually shared.

Korkie seemed perfectly at home here. She rolled quietly toward him and gave him a feather light kiss on the cheek.

"Love you..." he mumbled in his sleep and she smiled. She snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes again hoping that she could give in to sleep. But there it was again, that feeling that something was different, she was different. There was something... new.

"Oh!" she breathed. She reached into the Force again, this time her focus was within herself rather than her surroundings. There was a spark there, nothing more, but it was the start of something. She shivered. This couldn't happen now, not here. She had promised to tell Korkie as soon as she suspected but she couldn't. She wished she could un-know it herself. Surely a Sith Lord could pluck the knowledge from her head and then what would he do with it?

There was a knock on the door and she jumped.

"Soniee?" It was Bo's voice.

She crawled out of bed and went to stand next to the door. "Y-yes?"

"Maul wants to see you. He wants to speak to you about something."

He knows! she thought, just like she had known about Lagos and he was vastly more powerful that she was.

"What about? Can't it wait till morning?"

"I don't really know. I could try and tell his men that you're still sleeping."

"No. Ummm. Just let me get dressed. Be better just to get it over with." Soniee appealed to 1K0 to quietly bring her something appropriate to wear and rubbed her crystal pendant between her fingers for strength. She thought she saw Korkie stirring in his sleep when the droid returned with the outfit but he rolled over in the big comfortable bed and didn't open his eyes. Glancing in the mirror while she dressed, she laid her hand on her stomach. Of course looks alone wouldn't give her away for some time. She was glad of that but she wondered how long it would be before she was puking her guts out every morning like Lagos had endured for the first few months of her pregnancy.

Lagos was happy to report in her last comm that she was over that particular symptom, now she just wanted to eat everything in sight. She had said she felt like she was big as a starship but in her holo she had looked like the same old Lagos had swallowed an entire beelpop melon. She had wanted to be here for Soniee's graduation also and would have gladly dawned the beskar'gam like the rest of her protectors. The plates would never have covered, much less protected, her growing child.

And now Soniee had that to look forward too. She pulled her tunic on over her head and smoothed it down over her flat abdomen. What would Maul say? Would he want to use her child against her? Take it away to train it if it could use the Force like she could? She'd never let him. And she realized that was the first truly maternal thought that had ever occurred to her. She would fight tooth and nail to protect her child, Korkie's child.

She glanced again at her husband, sleeping peacefully, took her crystal in her hand, closed her eyes and tried to calm her feelings. Then she took a deep breath walked to the door and opened it. There was Bo waiting for her, helmeted and pacing the hallway.

"Ready then?" she asked.

"I guess so." Soniee answered. "You have no idea at all what he wanted to see me about?"

"It didn't seem to be anything urgent but if that's the case I don't know why it had to be dealt with in the middle of the night."

"I don't know either." Soniee felt for the crystal again. "Maybe it's just something about the graduation ceremony tomorrow."

"Keep telling yourself that, if it makes you feel any better." Bo mumbled.

"Where am I to meet him?"

"Maul's in the throne room." Soniee could sense the anger and sadness in that statement and she remembered that the Night Owl had seen Pre Viszla murdered in that room.

It didn't take them long to reach it.

"I'll wait for you right here." Bo assured her when they reached the doors.

"Thank you." Soniee slowly entered and approached the throne.

Maul lounged on it as if he belonged there. He didn't seem especially happy or angry or tired with the lateness of the hour but he did smile at her as she approached.

"Ah. Here you are, my dear. I am sorry to have woken you. I won't keep you long and you can return to your lover."

Soniee nearly choked and remained silent.

"Just out of curiosity, does he know you have a thing for men in uniform and that he's not the first?"

She blushed looking away from him. He must have been referring to the holo that Almec had taunted her with of Commander Fox kissing her on Padme's balcony. She and Korkie should have been more careful about waiting to act on their passion until after they were behind closed doors. They should have been more careful about other things as well, she realized. At least, she thought with relief, Maul hadn't mentioned anything about the identity of the man she was with.

She cleared her throat. "He..."

"Never mind it's not important." Maul interrupted her and now he sounded impatient like he wanted to get right to the point. He sat forward on the edge of throne and stared intently at her. "You have..."

She gulped.

"...a new piece of jewelry."

Soniee started. "A what?"

"The pendant that you are wearing around your neck." There was something greedy in his eyes.

She thought she had managed to keep it hidden. What did it matter it was only a little thing? And why would it matter to him. It had called to her. "My pendant?" She nearly laughed, so relieved that this wasn't about the other thing.

"May I have a closer look at it?" He asked politely but there was still that look in his eyes.

Her hand went to the object nearly as protective as she had felt a moment before about giving up her child. "It's mine," She told him in no uncertain terms.

"Of course." He assured her. "I only wanted to see it and ask you a few questions about it."

She nodded and walked slowly toward the throne. She pulled the chain from beneath her tunic and held the crystal out on her palm. It seemed to glow there and she wondered if he could see it too or if it only produced its light for her.

He didn't rise from the throne but his knuckles did pale as he clutched the arm rests. "Such a small thing it is, but such a thing of beauty, and power I assume?" He glanced up at her face and then back down at the thing on her palm.

"Y-yes."

"It was a gift, from your young man perhaps?" he asked eagerly.

"No. I found it." He obviously knew something about it or he wouldn't have asked. Maybe she could find out a little more about it if she asked some questions as well. "It sort of called to me."

"Did it? Fascinating! But you didn't travel to the Ilum system, to the ice caves?"

"N-no." Soniee had never heard of the place. "I did find it in a cave but it was near to my home, on Concord Dawn." Suddenly she wasn't sure she should have given him so much information. She decided it was time to start asking for some information of her own. "Please. You seem to know. What is it?"

"My dear, you've found your Kyber crystal."

"Kyber crystal?" Was she supposed to know what that was?

Maul relaxed back a bit on the throne and smiled at her. "All the little Jedi make trips to the planet Ilum. It's a right of passage. It's where they find the crystals to construct their lightsabers."

He watched her for a reaction but she wasn't really sure what to do with the information now that she had it. It made sense she supposed. She had felt that the object was for the purpose of building something but he still didn't really want to use it to make a weapon. Her hand closed around it and Maul tensed for a moment as it disappeared from view. He forced himself to relax.

"Do they... does each Jedi hear their own crystal call to them?" she asked.

He shrugged and waved a hand as if it didn't matter. "I suppose. Anyone can use a crystal once it has been found but it is said that a crystal will have a preference of the Force user it desires to belong to."

"And this one wanted to belong to me?"

"You said it called to you."

"It sort of... sang."

"And yet you said that you found it close to the place where you grew up?" He was interested again and she was uncomfortable answering but she knew she had to and she knew she'd never know the truth unless she asked.

"I think maybe it had always been calling to me." she paused and then rushed on. "I found it in the cavern behind the wreck of my birth mother's freighter. She crashed there right after I was born. I survived."

He shook his head with wonder. "Survived only to go back to that spot and find the object years later."

"Y-yes. I guess so." She frowned. She still didn't know much about the crystal but it disturbed her that her mother had died so that she could find it.

They were both silent for several seconds deep in their own thoughts and then Maul seemed to remember that she was still standing there. He waved a hand at her in dismissal. "You can go back to your lover now. But do try to get some sleep. You'll want to be rested for the ceremony tomorrow... or later today rather." He sighed, distracted, rose from the throne, and walked out, hands clasped behind his back.

Soniee stood there for another couple of minutes and then turned and found Bo waiting for her.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"He wanted to know about this." Soniee held out the pendant for the other woman to see.

"Strange. And did he find out what he wanted to know?"

Soniee wasn't sure. "I guess so. He was interested in where I got it and how."

"And what is it?" Bo asked.

"It's a Kyber crystal. Jedi use them to build lightsabers." she answered levelly.

"But he didn't take yours?"

Soniee looked up at her with a frown. "No, he didn't."

"Now that is strange."

"Yes it is." But at that moment Soniee was so glad that she still had the crystal and that he hadn't even brought up her other secret that she didn't care. "I'm ready to go back to bed."

"Come on. Let's see if my nephew woke up, found you gone, and is going crazy with worry."

Soniee smiled and clutched her pendant. "He's not. He's still snoring."

* * *

 _No! It was dying! She had to save it! She tried but she was too weak. She was dying too._...

"Soniee. Wake up. Shh. It's alright. I'm here. No one is dying. You're just fine."

Korkie was holding her, wiping tears from her face. They were in his old room at the palace. Today was the day of her graduation.

"It was the same dream again, wasn't it?" He asked when her crying had faded to the occasional hiccup. She had woken up like this enough times in the last few months that he had eventually forced her to tell him what it was all about. Well as much as she could tell. It was still fuzzy when she woke or it had been before this time.

This time Soniee knew what the thing was. Even now she was reaching into the Force and deep within herself. And there it surely was. Hours ago when she had first sensed the spark of new life it had only been a vague bundle of cells but while she had slept those cells had been busy multiplying. Now they were gathering together in like purposes to form tissues and systems.

"Was it the same dream, Love?" Korkie asked again.

She nodded. She wanted to tell him.

"It's over now. Everything is fine. It was only a dream."

But was it only a dream or was she seeing something that was going to happen in the future. The Force sometimes gave glimpses of what could happen. She wished she had someone she could ask. Master Obi-wan or Ahsoka...

"Come on now, out of bed and get cleaned up and dressed and something to eat. It'll make you feel better." Korkie gave her a gentle push.

"This is a switch. Usually you're begging me to stay in bed with you, and with such a comfortable one at our disposal..." she kissed him.

"I had thought about that, but it's going to be a busy day, and once it's over I get you all to myself again."

Well soon he'd have someone else to share her with. She looked at him, fixing the place and time in her memory. She would remember this not as the night before her graduation but the night when her child was conceived.


	12. good morning

Soniee is not having a very good morning. So! We're going to jump back in time again and find out how Melaana is doing the morning after her dinner with Dane. enjoy.

* * *

Melaana was not expecting to find her blue flight suit freshly pressed and lying ready for her to wear at the foot of her bed when she woke. Along with the garment was a note penned in her mother's graceful, aristocratic hand.

My Dearest Daughter,

I must apologize for causing you distress over the thought of discontinuing your cherished pastime. Your Father and I received a communication from Lieutenant Bonteri and it seems the gentleman was rather impressed that your skills in piloting had been, for the most part, self taught. He has seen fit to request that we encourage your continued education in the skill, rather than forbidding you to take part in the activity.

I must, as your mother, register my apprehension at your participation in so dangerous a sport but I cannot help but see that it is an accomplishment in which you have achieved a degree of mastery. That is to say, I am proud of you, Melaana, and I know that you will make me just as proud in this season of your courtship and marriage to the young Lieutenant who you have thus far affected by your charms and talents.

Most sincerely,

Your Mother

That was Mother, alright. Melaana shook her head, smiling at the note. And Dane! He had asked them to let her continue to fly!

She took no time in shedding her nightgown and slipping into the flight suit. She didn't know if Bremon would be waiting for her in the clearing after the message she had sent him the evening before but he had explained to her in one of his letters where to find the ruping's paddock and surely she would find him there with Frayl if he wasn't waiting for her at their regular meeting spot.

The clearing was empty when she did her flyby so she didn't even bother putting down. She checked her on board computer and punched in the coordinates that Bremon had given her for the place where he fed and cared for his animals. She needn't have. She could see no less than three rupings in the air when she got close. One of them, hearing the engine of the cloudhopper flew right at her and she had to do a bit of maneuvering to keep Frayl from knocking her out of the air.

"Hey, big guy, I missed you too!" she yelled. "Take me to Brem!"

Frayl's answering call was so loud that her helmet's comm system automatically turned down the volume to protect her ears. Bremon would know she was coming. The other rupings caught on to the excitement and she had an honor guard as she set down not far from their paddock. Frayl landed next to her and the huge beast rested his head on the side of her open cockpit waiting to be petted. She pulled off her helmet and belts and then obliged.

She laughed. "Are you just going to keep me all to yourself?"

Frayl nodded his head nearly upsetting the repulsors on the cloudhopper.

And then she heard Bremon's voice and her heart leaped. "Come on you beast, let her get out of there!"

He managed to back the ruping up far enough for Melaana to climb out of the cloudhopper and she got her first sight of her friend after their long week apart. She wanted to run to him but just as she took her first step another smaller ruping dropped down in front of her and squawked angrily.

She, Melaana wasn't sure why but she knew this smaller reptavian had to be female, was a regal creature. What she lacked in size compared to Frayl, she made up for in sheer majesty. Her emerald eyes stared down at the human with contempt.

Melaana, having been faced with such personalities in the circles of Onderonian society, knew exactly what to do. She dropped into a low, respectful curtsy. This was the ruping's court. She was the outsider, and she humbled herself accordingly.

Frayl showed no such awe in her presence. He called out his annoyance and the female snapped back at him. It reminded Melaana very much of the way she and Sanjay might have argued with each other.

Carefully, Bremon edged his way around the pair and made his way to Melaana's side. "May I introduce, Princess."

"It is an honor to meet you, Princess." Melaana bowed her head in deference to the female ruping as sincerely as she would have being introduced to any sentient royal.

Princess gave her a slight nod and allowed her to approach. She sniffed at the new comer and then nosed at her hands to be petted.

"You are lovely, your majesty." Melaana rubbed her head between her green eyes and the animal shuddered with pleasure.

"You've charmed our Princess." Said a warm voice close beside her. "My uncle would say you must have the Force on your side."

Melaana glanced over at Bremon and smiled. "It doesn't take magic or sorcery. I just know how a lady likes to be treated." Then she turned her attention back to the ruping. "What is her story? She really is beautiful."

"She's Frayl's sister, hatched two days after his egg fell from the nest. She broke out as strong as any of the species I've ever seen and she took charge of the rest right off. Then they all grew bigger than her but she's still the absolute monarch of the bunch."

Frayl nosed his way in for some attention just then too and the siblings squabbled for the attention of the humans.

Bremon put his hands on Melaana's shoulders and drew her backward a few paces so they wouldn't be crushed in the quarrel.

"I think I could tell they were brother and sister." Melaana smiled. "They're a lot like Sanjay and me."

"I never had any siblings." Bremon mused. "After my parents died I only had my uncle," He shrugged. "And the animals. Would you like to see the rest?"

"Will they be alright?" she looked back at Frayl and Princess squalling out their dominance.

"They'll be fine, just like you and your brother, right? They love each other really. They'll calm down and then I'll show you how to saddle them and you can see how they compete in the air."

Melaana brightened. "You mean I might be able to ride one of them on my own?"

"Not that I mind riding with you," he blushed and turned his gaze in the direction they were walking. "But sure. Princess has taken to you. I think she'd appreciate carrying a lady as elegant as herself."

He showed her the other ruping's in the paddock and explained that they were really free to go about as they pleased but they had become domesticated and aways returned here when called or for medical treatment or to hatch their young. They trusted Bremon just like they had trusted his parents. And he told her, it would only be a matter of time before she gained their trust as well, since Frayl and Princess had already welcomed her.

Then he led her to the barn where the dalgos with their sharp teeth were tearing away at their indeterminate, fleshy meal. "These were once our steeds in battle." Bremon told her. "The army prefers tanks and speeders now but can you imagine the look on the enemy's faces if they were to come up against a meat eating mount like this?"

Melaana shivered as she reached out carefully to stroke the crest on the head of one of the beasts. She didn't want to imagine them in battle. She had a healthy respect for them but the Rupings were still her favorite with their intelligence and majesty in flight.

The huge Fambaas were noble in their own way, quiet and gentle. Bremon told her that the first of their species had been imported from Naboo but they had taken to the jungles of Onderon that were similar to the swamps of their home planet and flourished. These were the beasts that Melaana was the most familiar with because she had seen them carrying loads of goods or pulling carts in Iziz on market days. Seeing a herd of them here grazing freely at the vegetation made her smile.

She wasn't sure at what point in the tour she and Bremon had begun holding hands. It felt natural and easy and she almost didn't want to let go when he led her back to the ruping's paddock to get her lesson in saddling the creatures for a ride.

Frayl came right up to her and seemed to want her to ride him but Bremon thought for her first solo ride it might be better for her to take out his more gentle sister. Princess lifted her head, gloating at the honor and Frayl whined. But Bremon was right. Frayl was so excited that it was nearly impossible for the experienced rider to get the beast to stand still to tighten the girth straps. Princess held perfectly still and Melaana was able to complete the job on the first try with only Bremon's verbal instruction.

Bremon helped her into the saddle and gave her one more quick directive on how to hold the reigns to guide her mount. Melaana had picked up most of this just from watching Bremon's hands when they'd flown together. She pet Princess's back between the shoulders and whispered to her while Bremon finished up with Frayl. "Let's show those boys how its done, Eh your highness?"

Princess nodded and gave a determined trumpeting call. Then with Melaana's urging, she took gracefully to the air. Within a few minutes the two females were working as a perfect team. What Princess lacked in size she made up for in agility and finesse. She could fly circles around her more ungainly brother and she did so with an aristocratic personality that even Melaana's mother would have approved of. Together they soared higher than the cloudhopper had ever managed to go and the thin air made Melaana's head spin. Then they floated down to skim the tops of the jungle's tree canopy along side Frayl and Bremon.

"How are you enjoying your first solo flight?" Bremon called to her. His face was all wonder and pride at her accomplishment.

"It's amazing," She called back. "I'd like to live up here forever!"

Unfortunately she couldn't. They had to come back to the ground eventually and Melaana said an affectionate goodbye to her ruping friends. Bremon, holding her hand, led her back quietly to the cloudhopper.

"Thank you for the wonderful day." She told him and then like she had before she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

This time however just at the last second he turned his head and caught her lips with his own. She gave a little gasp but before she could pull away from the surprise he put a hand to the side of her face and held her there.

"I've wanted to do that for so long." He whispered when they broke apart.

"And," her heart was beating as fast as when she was soring up in the atmosphere half an hour ago. "and what did you think of it?"

"That I want to do it again." This time he slipped his hands around the back of her head and his fingers tangled into her hair. With what seemed to be just a flick of his wrist he undid the knot he had carefully wound the curls into earlier and allowed them to tumble down her back.

Her own hands held tightly to his shoulders and she trembled with excitement.

"Will you..." he began.

"yes?"

"Will you come back tomorrow and then join me at the Summer Fete?"

"Yes, of course." She beamed.

He smiled back at her. "Good."

Another kiss and then she was belted into her pilot's rig and the helmet firmly on her head. "Till tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." He promised.

Just as she was getting off the ground Bremon ran back to Frayl, jumped on his back and was in the air, circling her. "Melaana," he yelled. "I love you!"

She was grinning inside her helmet. She yelled back, "I love you, too."

She flew back home in a haze of happiness and as she made her landing approach she almost didn't notice the brand new freighter that was parked directly in front of her family's mansion. She wondered why it was there and who it could possibly belong to. Mother and Sanjay were standing on the front porch staring at the thing, but no guests seemed to be coming out of it.

Melaana set down the cloudhopper and then hurried over to see what the excitement was all about. "What is this?" she asked taking off her helmet. Her hair poofed out around her like a halo.

"That's a good look for you," Sanjay chuckled.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

Her mother swept over, looking supremely disappointed at her daughter's appearance. Melaana was sure he really did smell like a barn now after actually spending half the day in one.

Mother held out a sealed note. "You'll want to take a look at this. It came with the... ship."

Melaana took the card from her mother, confused. It did have her name written across the front of it in rather careless sprawling Basic. She broke the seal on it, opened it and read.

Melaana,

I thought you would prefer this in lieu of a ring. There will also be an instructor at your door at noon tomorrow to assist you as you continue your education. Whatever is decided, you should keep on reaching for the stars.

Your servant,

Lt. Dane Bonteri

"Well what does it say?" Mother asked. "Who is it from?"

Melaana held out the note for her mother to read. She was in shock. Her first thought was actually the bit about the instructor being there at noon. That would mean she wouldn't have much time to spend with Brem in the morning before she had to be back here for her lesson. And then it dawned on her. Dane had given her a ship!

"In lieu of a ring!" her mother was bouncing on the balls of her feet. Melaana didn't think she had ever seen the woman so excited. "He says, in lieu of a ring! So he does wish to continue with the betrothal process! Oh Melaana I knew he would be the one. Just look at the way he's catering to your interests. You couldn't hope for a better match!"

"Yes, I ... suppose so." Melaana frowned.

"Well, go on. Look over your gift." Mother gave her a little push towards the craft. Nothing could stem her mother's excitement and well Melaana was a little curious about her new ship.

Her New Ship! This wasn't some cloudhopper that couldn't even break through the atmosphere. This was a real ship, with a fracking hyperdrive! She could go anywhere! And what was it Dane had said. 'whatever is decided', 'reach for the stars'.

Melaana was not as sure as her mother that this was the gift of someone who wanted to secure a betrothal. It almost felt like... like he was making up for the fact that he didn't love her. She'd heard of gifts being given for similar purposes. After an argument or an infidelity a partner might give an extravagant gift. He'd told her he would be loyal to her if... but they weren't promised to each other yet. And the way he'd said Senator Skelari's name, Mina...

She was almost sure that he had feelings for the other woman and less than an hour ago she'd told Bremon she loved him. Did Dane mean for her to take the ship and just fly away?

She climbed the ramp and entered her ship. She wouldn't fly away, not when Bremon was here on the planet. Now, if he would come with her... She smiled.

Sanjay appeared beside her. "You're wearing that alluring scent of barnyard animals again, sister. May I hazard a guess that you have once again been enjoying the company of the Kira heir?"

"I have, actually, brother. How good of you to notice." She looked around the cargo hold. It was small but it wasn't like she was going to be hauling great amounts of anything. There was one tiny sleeping cabin and a 'fresher, and a galley that wasn't much more than a table and a conservator that also served as main cabin. She went forward to explore the cockpit and plopped down into her pilot's seat. Sanjay took the co-pilot's seat next to her.

"It's quite a betrothal gift." Her brother commented.

Melaana rolled her eyes. "It is not a betrothal gift."

"He did say, 'in lieu of a ring'."

"As I'm sure Mother will never fail to remind me so I don't need you to do so as well."

"Well," Sanjay sat forward searching her face for her true feelings. "What do you think it means then?"

"I think he's giving me a means of escape."


	13. House of Kira

Melaana tells Bremon about her gift from Dane and he tells her a little about his family history.

* * *

She instructed the droid to bring her a caff at sun up. She wanted to meet Bremon as early as she could and spend the whole morning with him before her flying lesson. She was still debating with herself if she would tell him about the freighter when the droid arrived. Melaana was sure Bremon wouldn't like it that the ship was a gift from Dane especially since it looked suspiciously like a betrothal gift.

It wasn't though. It couldn't be. Maybe Dane's parents had put him up to it, told him to get her something nice and it was just something that he knew she would like since they had talked about flying the night before. It was an extravagant gift though as expensive as any piece of rare jewelry other girls might hope to receive from a suitor.

She wondered if she could just ask him. He seemed like a good sort and they had already been sort of honest with each other. She wondered what Dane would say if he knew that she had been kissing another man yesterday. She wondered if he had ever kissed Senator Bonteri. Melaana smiled. She imagined them together and decided that they would make an adorable couple.

Despite everything else she really was itching to start up the new ship and see how it would go. She looked up the specs on her datapad and realized that she had flown a simulation that was similar. Of course every ship had it's own quirks and she was sure her ship would be no different. 'My ship,' she giggled.

She would be taking the cloudhopper out this morning and that was fine with her too. It's what she was flying when she first met Bremon. She thought about that first meeting while she tried to get a brush through her hair but it was no use. She wrapped a band around her hair to keep it out of the way, stuffed the brush in one of the pockets of her utility belt, and hurried on her way.

Melaana wasn't surprised at all to see Bremon and both the rupings waiting for her in the clearing. It was a bit surprising, however that both the rupings fit in the small space and that they obliged by backing up so that she could set down the cloudhopper. Frayl jumped around and trumpeted and pulled at the reigns Bremon was holding while Princess, trying to make him look ridiculous by comparison, stood stately and still. That is until he accidentally brushed her with his wing and she took after him like a banshee.

While the siblings squabbled Melaana jumped from her craft and went right to Bremon. He looked as if he very much wanted to kiss her, as if he had thought of little else the entire time they had been apart. As much as she wanted the same, she decided to make him wait just a little longer. She pulled out the hairbrush from her pocket. "Would you mind terribly?"

"Not at all." He grinned.

They sat on the ground, she with her back to him. While he worked, and she didn't have to look him in the eye, she decided to be honest with him. She told him all about the gift of the freighter and her suspicions that it wasn't really a betrothal gift. Once or twice in his frustrations with his feelings about the other young man he gave her scalp an unpleasant yank.

"I'm not telling you all this to make you jealous," Melaana tried to assure him.

He had finished with her hair and laid his hands on her shoulders. She took one of his hands in hers and turned to face him, still seated on the ground.

"I know that." He looked a little guilty. "I appreciate your being honest with me." Then he smiled. "You'll just have to forgive me if I am a little jealous anyway." He pulled her into a kiss as if to reassure himself that she really was real and that she really did want him rather than that popinjay of a Lieutenant.

The rupings must have known that the humans weren't going to be ready for a ride any time soon. They settled on the ground making a sort of protective circle around the couple.

"Brem," Melaana asked after a while. "I'd like for you to be honest with me as well."

"Of course." He held her in his arms feeling pretty much perfectly happy. "I've always tried to be."

She looked up at him. "Tell me about your family, about your uncle. I know it's not your favorite subject, but it's part of you."

He took a deep breath and then nodded. "Alright. When I was three or four I guess, there was some sort of sickness that was going around. I don't remember my parents much but they were worried that I'd get it. They sent me with my Uncle. His name is Naidon Kria by the way. He was my father's brother. They sent me with him to Dxun. I guess they thought I would be safe from the illness there."

"Why didn't they go along with you?" She asked.

"I've no idea. I've often wondered that same thing. I think it was probably Uncle Nadd's idea." He was silent for a few minutes and looked as if he were remembering something unpleasant or painful even.

Melaana hugged him and waited patiently for him to go on.

"While we were there, he took me to this old temple or - or tomb." He shuddered.

"Hardly the kind of place to take a child."

"No, no it wasn't. We went inside and it was cold and dark like a cave. We had only the glow rod he had given me for light. And I heard a voice. It wasn't Uncle Nadd's and I didn't really understand the words. He told me later it was some kind of prophecy."

"A prophecy?"

"Yes. Not that I believe in that sort of thing but it was so strange to hear that voice in that place..."

She didn't think he was going to continue so she urged him on believing that sharing the memories with her was helping him somehow. "What did it say, the prophecy I mean?"

"It said that some day I would father a child who would be very powerful in the Force."

"The Force?" She thought that sounded familiar. "Isn't that what they test us for when we're babies to see if we should go to the Jedi Temple?"

He looked at her, surprised that she was aware of such a thing.

She smiled. "I was tested when I was a baby. Sanjay told me. He was three when I was born and he got his hopes up that they'd be able to send me away. He said I actually got a false positive the first time and they had to do the test over again."

Bremon gave her a grudging smile as well and a squeeze. "Don't let my Uncle hear about that. He'll get all kinds of ideas."

She settled comfortably against his chest. "So he really believes that you're supposed to father this Force-ful child?"

"I guess so." he sighed.

"And..." she continued with a smile in her voice. "Do you think he suspects that I might be the mother of this child?"

Bremon laughed and hugged her closer. "If there has to be one, I don't want it to be anyone else."

"Let's go and meet your uncle now," she said suddenly breaking way from him and standing.

He looked a little disappointed. "Now? But don't you have a flying lesson in a while?"

"I do." She reached out a hand to help him stand. "So if it's terribly awkward, I can say that I have to go because I have a previous engagement."

"You can be very sly, Melaana Rash." He took her hand, stood, and drew her into another hug.

"Why thank you, Mr. Kira."

The rupings were excited that if was finally time to go for a flight and Melaana was quite comfortable climbing once again into Princess's saddle even if the female gave her a haughty 'It's about time,' look. They didn't have far to go. There was an ancient edifice carved from stone and just looking at it made Melaana sympathize with Bremon's dislike of caves.

They both dismounted and she went right over to take his hand. The rupings didn't seem to like it either and Bremon hushed Frayl. "We won't be long, boy. You just stay here and look after Princess."

Princess looked indignant that she should need looking after but Frayl took a little more dignified stance and both of them seemed to have forgotten their agitation about the place.

As they crossed the threshold into the building, Bremon made a sign with his free hand over his heart. Melaana looked at him curiously.

"Sorry just an old superstitious habit." He cleared his throat and they went on. He had said he didn't believe in the old religion but this was how he was raised. And she wondered about the voice he said he had heard when he was a child.

After the initial chamber they began to go down a flight of steps. They seemed to go down a long ways and though Melaana had a million questions she felt a need to be quiet here. It wasn't completely dark. There were lights in sconces at intervals the whole way as if this was an often used route.

Finally after several minutes of walking they stairway opened out into another chamber that was surprisingly well lit. There at a desk not unlike her father's desk in his study sat a gentleman who could have been an older version of Bremon himself. Melaana looked back and forth between them amazed at the resemblance. The gentleman wore a long dark robe but there was nothing else that would suggest that he was the priest of some evil spirit.

He looked up when they entered and smiled. Melaana also smiled and boldly walked forward still holding tightly to Bremon's hand.

"So this is the young lady I've heard so much about." Uncle Nadd stood and walked around the desk to greet her and his nephew.

She offered her hand and he bent to brush his lips against her knuckles. She glanced over at Bremon and he rolled his eyes. She giggled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kira. I'm Melaana."

"Please you must call me Uncle Nadd. I'm just so glad that my nephew as finally found such a lovely friend to pass his time with."

She nodded and smiled affectionately at Bremon. He couldn't help smiling back at her.

"He introduced me to his creatures and I love them all."

"Yes well," Uncle Nadd gave a slight cough. "The animals were always my brother's expertise. Bremon gets that from his father. They don't take as kindly to me."

"Brem, does have a special touch with them." Melaana blushed and looked down at their joined hands.

"Did you ask her to the Summer Fete?" Uncle Nadd asked.

"I did, Uncle and she said she'd be glad to come."

"Very good! I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. It's a fun event for the young people, remembering our past, or a piece of it anyway."

Bremon's jaw tightened. "Let's not scare her away with the other side of it just yet, Uncle."

"It's okay. I'd like to hear about it." She squeezed his hand.

The older man looked pleased to share his knowledge. "The Kiras were always beast riders of course until several hundred years ago when our ancestor Oron married the Princess Galia. Galia's parents were followers of the Great Freedon Nadd."

Melaana glanced up at Bemon at the sound of the name. He was trying not to speak out against his guardian. "That's fascinating." She said politely. She would have to do some of her own research on the subject but she could tell that Bremon had just about had enough for the moment. "Oh I am sorry, Uncle Nadd. I've just remembered that I have a piloting lesson. I don't know what my mother will say if I'm late. And it's my first lesson with my new instructor."

Bremon smiled at her gratefully.

"Oh, well maybe another time then." The old man reached out and patted both their shoulders. "It was so nice meeting you, Miss Rash."

"Thank you, Sir." She gave him a small curtsy that even in her flight suit was evidence of her aristocratic up bringing. And then Bremon led her back up that long stairway.

"It wasn't so bad." She nudged him when they were out in the sunlight again.

He smiled grudgingly. "Because you handled it beautifully."

She stopped and tilted her head up, an invitation for him to kiss her, which he gladly accepted.

"I just wish you didn't have that lesson today so you didn't have go so soon," He said when they broke apart.

"I'll just have to learn as quickly as I can so I won't have to have anymore lessons."

He laughed.


	14. graduation

The day has finally come for Soniee to be honored for her academic achievement. She's still attempting to keep her secrets but with some special guests attending the ceremony, someone was bound to figure it out.

* * *

Momma looked even more uncomfortable than Soniee felt, sitting in hard chairs on the dais for the graduation ceremony. Soniee and her family had been given places of honor but she knew that Veeka Ordo would have been much more comfortable in her beskar'gam standing with the rest of the Protectors than sitting here, what were her exact words? dressed up like a solstice day nerf roast. The truth was she looked lovely, prettier than Soniee had ever seen her, and she had a blush in her cheeks that didn't look like it was all make up.

Soniee leaned over toward her. "Is it true that one of my protectors found his way into your room last night?" she asked, hoping to get her Momma's mind off the thousands of citizens of Sundari and the surrounding cities who were arrayed in stands before the dais for the occasion.

"Who told you that?" Momma asked her trying to sound put out but Soniee thought she detected a note of pride.

"He did." Soniee smiled. "Or rather K asked him and he admitted to it."

"Well it may have taken me longer to nail mine down but I surely wasn't going to let my daughter have all the fun." She beamed.

Soniee took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm happy for you, Buir."

"Thanks, Ad'ika. I'm pretty happy too."

They watched as Almec and his guards including Gar Saxon entered and found their places on the other side of the dais. And then, Soniee wasn't expecting them at all, there was a delegation from the Republic. Or were they Senators from the council of Neutral systems? Maybe there were some of both. What surprised her most of all was Lux Bonteri, smile like a holo star, stepping out to take his place.

When he caught her eye, he winked and mouthed, "Surprise!"

And she mouthed back. "What are you doing here?" She was happy to see him but at the same time she could almost hear Korkie grumbling behind her.

"Chancellor sent me. He said I should..."

But at that moment a band started playing music and Almec rose from his seat and went to a podium.

"I'll talk to you after." Lux assured her silently.

There were speeches about the new direction of Mandalore in the post-New Mandalore age. Soniee managed to keep smiling even though it sounded rather stupid to her. They talked about neutrality in the galactic war but a return to the stronger ways of the past within the system and it mostly sounded like they were talking in circles. Soniee had attended a school of government. She knew a filibusterer when she heard one. And then they talked about Soniee herself. How she was adopted in the Mandalorian tradition, how she was raised to accept the _Resol'nare_ and then was sent to the Academy of Government to learn to be a leader of the people of Mandalore. They told of how she had taken up the cause of a people in chaos to the Jedi Counsel and then to the Senate and how she wouldn't accept an honorary degree but insisted on finished her education.

She looked down at her hands. It probably looked like humility to the gathered masses but mostly Soniee was just lamenting the fact that her fellow graduates couldn't be here with her. Korkie of course was standing right behind her but he couldn't even show his face or be acknowledged for the work that he had accomplished at the Academy. Lagos was away in Keldabe or Enceri where she would stay hidden until her child was born. And Amis, poor Amis. He should have been accepting a diploma too.

Her hand went absently to the crystal pendant under the neckline of her fancy dress. She was using it to help her focus. She knew Maul was off stage somewhere close by. She was managing to hide her discovery of that morning or at least she hoped she was. She was looking forward to getting back home and telling Korkie. She knew he would be excited. She needed someone to be excited. She was just scared.

She lost track of the speeches for a while and then someone else stepped up who she hadn't at all expected. Commander Fox stepped forward with a holo projector in his hand.

"Though he couldn't be here in person." Almec was saying. "Chancellor Palpatine of the Galactic Republic also wished to say a few words about our graduate..."

She could sense several things at once and it almost broke her concentration in hiding her secret. Fox was staring at her from behind his T-visor, plainly longing to get her alone when this was over. Korkie was grinding his teeth. He couldn't be sure but he could guess who the armored clone was. Soniee sent him a reassuring _I'm yours_ , thought and he seemed to relax a bit.

Then the holo of the Chancellor materialized from the projector and he began to speak of her humility and her determination and her passion. The word still made Soniee uncomfortable. She remembered all too well the voice that seemed constantly to be in her head while she was on Coruscant: _Peace is a lie, there is only Passion_. She took a deep breath and tried to focus again. She glanced over at Lux who gave her a look of concern. Was her discomfort that evident in her countenance?

The Chancellor concluded with how he and the entire senate looked forward to her return to act as the Representative of the Neutral System of Mandalore. Soniee tried to smile for the applause. She was hoping that now that the speech was over, Fox would close the projection but he only stepped back, Palpatine still smiling at her from the holo image.

Almec took the podium again and finally called her forward. She stood and nearly stumbled back. Momma put out a hand to steady her. Then she walked forward poised and as regal as she could manage to be. Soniee remembered the duchess how even when everyone seemed to be against her she was always strong. She took a deep breath and tried to channel some of that strength.

"Thank you, Prime Minister and Chancellor for your kind words." She began trembling inside but her amplified voice betrayed none of it. "It is as you said. I was not born into the culture of Mandalore but through my up bringing by my adoptive mother and grandfather and the teaching of my instructors at the Academy I have claimed this planet, this system, this people as my own. I grew up hearing stories from my buir how the Civil War tore apart our civilization and I have seen with my own eyes the transfer of power and the chaos that ensued in the vacuum caused by the lack of a strong leader. It is my hope that I can use what I have learned to work with our current leadership and assist in returning Mandalore to the glory it has known in the past."

There was a roar of applause and she waited a moment for it to subside. She kind of hated how much she sounded like a politician but then she added one more line. It was modified from the first speech she was instructed to memorize as an Academy Cadet, Duchess Satine's first Peace Day speech. "I may not have been born a Mando'ad, but people of Mandalore, _Aliit Ori'shya Tal'din_! You are my family! " Using the Duchess's words was a defiant move in the current political climate. Perhaps the common citizen wouldn't have caught it. Maybe Maul hadn't memorized all of his predecessor 's speeches but as she looked at Almec who stepped forward now to shake her hand and give her the diploma, she saw the look in his eyes. He knew who she was loyal to even in death.

His voice shook where hers had been rock solid, "Congratulations, Representative Soniee Ordo!"

There was another round of applause from the crowd and Soniee dipped her head humbly in acceptance. Then thankfully it was over. The Chancellor's holo was deactivated. Her guards flanked her and led her to the reception hall. Korkie's hand found hers and gave it a squeeze in the bustle . He would have recognized his mother's words and she knew he was just proud of her anyway, even without her little rebellion. But she couldn't stop and talk to him now.

She was soon surrounded by well wishers most notable of which was Lux and she gave him a friendly hug. "I had no idea you were going to be here. I thought you couldn't make it."

He smirked. "I had to make sure for myself that the tabloids hadn't got it right and you weren't hiding away here waiting to deliver my love child."

She laughed. It felt like a long time since they had enjoyed reading about their ridiculously false exploits in the holozines.

"I hope you are reassured now." She gave a twirl in her gown that was tight enough at the waist to prove that, well at least that Lux could not have fathered her child months ago while she was on Coruscant.

Lux laughed also but then he caught her arm and whispered in her ear. "I did wonder if you might have left to hide Fox's child."

She blushed and sensed before she looked around the room that Fox was still in the room waiting impatiently to have a word with her. "You can see that's not true either." She whispered back to him uncomfortably.

"Well you should at least go and talk to him." Lux suggested. "Maybe the two of you can patch things up while he's here. I can cover for you if you'd like..."

She stopped him before he could go any further. "Oh no I couldn't. It would be too..."

Lux grabbed two glasses of wine from the tray of a passing server droid and handed one of them to Soniee. "You look like you could use this."

She nodded her thanks and then brought it to her lips before she thought better of it. Her eyes grew wide with horror and when the next droid passed she placed the still full glass onto its tray nearly upsetting the rest of the glasses there on.

"Hey be a little more careful!" the droid admonished as it rolled away.

"I'm sorry." Soniee said automatically. She didn't want to see the way Lux was looking at her.

No one was bothering the two of them. Perhaps they though t the lovers needed a private conversation. But Lux still pulled her a little further away from prying eyes and ears when he asked his next question. "I know I'm not the father and you'd have to be a lot further along if it was Fox, but you are pregnant, aren't you?"

"I..." she thought of denying it but she was sure at this point he would see through the lie. "I'm not sure. It's really too early to tell but Lux you can't tell anyone . I have even told... the father yet." She turned away from him and walked out of the room into the hall but he followed after her.

"Soniee, I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you."

"So congratulations are in order I guess." He smiled at her.

"Lux don't."

His brow creased and she could see him working it out. "You're protecting him aren't you, the father. You always have been. There never was an Amis."

"There was an Amis. He was a good friend." But she didn't deny the rest.

"Didn't the duchess have a nephew who went missing about the same time as..."

She heard someone coming and did the first thing she could think of to shut him up. She pulled him toward her and kissed him. Unfortunately she sensed who was coming about a half second after Lux decided to assist her with the deception.

"What do you think you're..." The armored guard dragged Lux away from her and aimed a punch at his face but Soniee with her quick reflexes was able to stop the fist a couple of centimeters before it made contact.

"It's not what you think." She tried to explain but she could feel the hurt radiating from her husband.

"And just what exactly am I supposed to think?"

Lux wisely stepped back and stayed out of it. He didn't know precisely what was going on but he could guess who it was hidden behind the helmet.

"I'm trying to protect our family," Soniee whispered.

Korkie turned and started to march away in a huff. He nearly ran into Fox who was just rushing out of the reception hall. The two masked men had been staring daggers at each other through their t-visors all evening but it was Korkie who had first noticed that Soniee and Lux had disappeared and had gone to find them. Fox now tried to take in the situation at glance and make a battle plan.

Korkie however had just realized what Soniee had said. He turned back and looked at her again. "Our family?"

She shrugged. This was not how she wanted to tell him. He wanted to run back and embrace her but she thought furiously at him, _Not now. Not here. We can't tell anyone_. The buy'ce nodded in understanding but he still didn't like her being with these other men.

Fox broke the silence, "Soniee , is he ... did he hurt you?"

Her eyes stayed fixed on Korkie. "No, he didn't hurt me. He didn't hurt me at all." She smiled and felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She blinked them away. She didn't mean to ignore Fox, but under the circumstances she didn't see how she could acknowledge him either. She swallowed and tried to regain her focus.

She turned back to Lux who was just standing there trying to take it all in. "Senator Bonteri, I'd like for you to come and meet my Momma." She extended her hand for him to escort her back in to the reception hall.

"I would be honored, Representative Ordo." He gave her a small formal bow, took her hand and began to lead her.

They passed between Fox and Korkie and Soniee could sense hurt and confusion on one side and elation and pride on the other.


	15. summer fete

Mel and Brem being happy and meeting new friends.

* * *

In three weeks of lessons she had learned to orbit the planet and slingshot around Duxn further into the system. She had even successfully calculated two short hyperjumps. Well, four if you counted there and back again. Her instructor was no attractive male this time around. She was a hardened military pilot with iron gray hair and zero sense of humor. She expected Melaana to be on time and to complete long complicated timetables and navigational equations and detailed star charts. It was like having an academic tutor again and she half wondered if they were all trying to make her give it up. She stuck with it, though. Her pride and stubborn determination wouldn't let a little hard work get the better of her. Maybe the old battle ax had thought she was finally wearing the girl down when she asked for a few days off but Melaana told her in no uncertain terms that she would be ready to pick right back up after the Fete was over. She even had a datapad with her, full of mathematical problems, that she had to complete before she saw the instructor again.

Melaana had suggested that she could fly her freighter out to the site of the Summer Fete. She had named the craft: "Ruping Queen" in honor of Princess. It would hold all the stuff that Bremon had told her needed to be carted to the site. Maybe she wanted to show off her piloting a little bit too. The Fete, however, was all about celebrating the old ways of the beast riders and as such everything that they needed was brought in on the backs of the animals they trained or in carts pulled by the creatures.

Melaana's second choice, since she couldn't fly her freighter or the cloud hopper, would have been to fly with Princess or Frayl. Anytime she wasn't studying for her piloting lessons she tried to get away to be with Bremon and the animals. But that was not to be either. The rupings flew themselves to the fete grounds, she was told, and Melaana found herself sitting on the seat of a wagon in a long line of other wagons and carts and beasts of burden.

Bremon was a little ways ahead riding a dalgos and helping to keep the caravan in line. He often looked back to check on her and wave.

"I've never seen our Brem smile at anyone like that. You sure have that boy wrapped around your little finger." said the woman sitting next to her. Edda Gerrera expertly tugged at the reigns of the fambass that was hitched to their wagon.

"Do you really think so?" Melaana asked. After all her campaigning for flying to the event she was actually enjoying riding a long next to this young woman with the warm dark skin and shining black hair and blue eyes.

"Mmm-hmm. Bremon Kira could have had his pick of any of the girls at the fete. You'll see them when we get there and they'll all be terribly jealous but they'll love you just the same. Why if I was a little younger I might have set my cap for him as well." She grinned at Melaana and winked. "It's a good thing for you, I'm perfectly happy where I am so you needed worry about me stealing him away from you."

Edda held the reigns in one hand and with the other rubbed her round belly. She was just weeks away from delivering her second baby but nothing would have stopped her from attending the Fete. Her first born, Saw, was riding on the back of a dalgos with his father. The toddler turned, scowled at Melaana, and stuck out his tongue. Edda's laugh was warm and sweet. Her husband, Geb, turned to look over his shoulder and smiled at her. Melaana wondered if it was possible that She and Bremon might one day be that happy, bringing their little ones to the Fete to teach them the old ways of his people.

This being her first time she was just worried about fitting in. The style of the clothes she wore was similar to what Edda was wearing but the colors were brighter and the fabric finer and less warn. She was afraid she would stand out. Edda had told her, "Of course you'll stand out. You're new for one, so everyone will want to welcome you, but you've also got that look on your face."

"What look?" she asked.

"You're in love, girl!" Edda spurred the fambass on and then began to sing. It was tune that Melaana knew but the lyrics were new to her. They spoke of hard work and daring adventures, the sentient masters and the strong, brave beasts by their sides.

Bremon looked back and smiled. He joined in on the second verse. Melaana had never heard him sing before. He had a rich tenor that harmonized well with Edda's sweet alto. Then Geb added a deep bass line. Even little Saw sang out the words he knew.

"Come on, don't be shy." Edda nudged her with an elbow. "You'll catch on quick."

"Oh no, I couldn't." Melaana shook her head. "I'd scare away the creatures. But..." she thought of something. She didn't know why she had packed it but it was there in the top of her bag behind the wagon seat. She reached back and pulled out her flute. Edda gave her an encouraging nod. She waited till they started up the next verse and then she trilled the accompaniment.

Bremon's head spun back to stare at her and his eyes were open wide in surprise. She smiled around her mouthpiece but managed to keep in tune. She wondered as she played what in the galaxy had made her choose the traditional Onderonian style of flute when her parents asked her long ago what type of instrument she wanted to learn. It would have been too easy for her to choose the modern style that was normally played in orchestras and chamber ensembles all over the galaxy. They had to bring in a special teacher for her and as generally went with her lessons she hadn't been very enthusiastic about practicing and following her teacher's instructions. She did love the sound of the folksongs though and over the years since she gave up her formal lessons she had picked up the instrument occasionally just to play around with it.

Bremon slowed his mount and brought it alongside the wagon. When the song finished, he was shaking his head in wonder at her. "I had no idea you could play like that."

"I wanted it to be a surprise." She grinned.

"It was, a good one."

"I had no idea you could sing like that."

He shrugged modestly. "I'll probably be singing more later at the gathering."

They stared at each other, Bremon ignoring his mount and just allowing it to go on its own way until the dalgos got irritated with keeping pace with the wagon and jumped forward almost unseating its rider.

"Woah!" He fought to stay in the saddle and pull the beast back into the line of travelers.

Edda laughed. "You know that creature will take two. You could ride ahead together to the campsite."

"Yeah," Bremon brightened. "You wanna climb on with me, Mel?"

She nodded and he brought the dalgos alongside the wagon again so she could climb over behind him. She had to hitch up her dress a bit to sit astride the creature and she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Don't know why I didn't think of this earlier." He said back over his shoulder.

She rested her head against his back and nodded. "I didn't mind riding with Edda. She's nice, but I do like this better."

"So do I. You wanna she how fast she'll go?" He asked squeezing her hand.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

"Hold on tight!"

He didn't have to ask her twice. He dug his heals into the dalgos's sides and the beast took off like lightning. They'd gone faster of course on the rupings but this was different. With the caravan of beasts and riders on one side and the jungle trees whipping by on the other, Melaana whooped and giggled. Several people called out and cheered as they rushed past. Soon they were at the head of the line and then they left it behind. Bremon slowed the creature just a bit once they were out of sight of the others. He laughed catching his breath. "How was that?"

"Different from being in the air but still fun." She kept her arms tight around him even though they had slowed.

"Probably should let her walk a bit after that run."

"Alright." she really didn't care as long as she could be with him.

He cleared his throat. "I'm so glad your parents let you come."

"Well, they er... They don't exactly know." She bit her lip. "I told them I was going to stay with a friend for a few days. That's technically true. I just let them assume it was my friend Katia's house I'd be staying at."

"Mel," he sounded a little disappointed. "I thought we agreed we were going to be honest with our families."

She sighed. "I know. It's easier for you , though . You only have your uncle and he's all for our being together."

He slowed the dalgos to a stop. "Have you at least told them you want out of your betrothal?"

"I - I've tried. Brem, they don't listen. You don't know what it's like."

He took her arms from around his waist and dismounted. "You don't want to marry him, do you?"

"Of course I don't." She tried to slip off the creature's back also but it was a long way to the ground and she sort of collapsed into a heap.

Bremon was right there offering a hand to help her up but he was frowning in dismay. "Mel, I'm not sure we can go on like this if we're lying to your family."

"I know, I..." more than anything in the galaxy she didn't want to lose Bremon. "Well, they... they can't go through with the betrothal if I'm already engaged to somebody else..."

He tilted up her chin so she had to look him in the eye and frowned at her. "Are you asking me, to ask you, to marry me?"

She couldn't help but smirk. "Yes."

He broke into a grudging smile as well. "Was that yes you want me to ask or yes you will?"

"Yes." She said again with a laugh.

He put his arms around her and tried to wipe the smile off her face with a kiss. "You know you can be the most infuriating woman."

"Mmmhmm." She grinned.

"But you can't just say yes like that." He told her.

She frowned. "I can't?"

"No, we must do things properly." Bremon smiled and dropped down on one knee.

Her heart thudded.

"Melaana Rash, would you make me the happiest man in the galaxy and be my wife?"

"Oh yes!" She dropped down to her knees also and kissed him but she was a good deal shorter and in her exuberance she made him loose his balance . He practically fell on top of her and they rolled together on the path so that she was lying on his chest. "I love you," she said looking down at him.

"And I love you." He laughed.


	16. betrothal

Melaana is finally going to meet Mina! I had this scene in my mind for ages before I actually wrote it down. This is what I was thinking of while I was creating Melaana's character.

* * *

Three days of music and dalgos races and aerial acrobatics by the rupings and weight pulling competitions with the fambass, and there was food and stories and laughter and... Bremon. Melaana didn't think she'd ever get over it. She wanted it to last forever but part of it would. He had asked and she had said yes and the entire community of beast riders had welcomed her. Edda had been right. She didn't have to win them over, though they did appreciate what her flute playing added to the festivities and they cheered she and Princess's daring flying display. They just loved her because Bremon loved her.

She sighed with contentment. Bremon loved her! Edda and Geb let her ride back into town with them on their cart. She had been a little worried how she'd sneak back into the house. She thought she might have them drop her at Katia's home since that was where she should have been all this time and then she could catch a speeder home from there. As soon as the Gerrera family's cart entered the west city gate however Melaana knew something was up. The streets where jammed leading to her own home.

Saw was fussing. He wanted to be back in the jungle with the animals not stuck in traffic. Melaana didn't blame him. She gave him a pat on the head. He had warmed up to her too but was in no mood for being comforted out of his tantrum. Edda's back ached. She was beginning to think she'd overdone it a bit in her last month of pregnancy. The wagon seat was uncomfortable and she just wanted to get home. Geb was frustrated with the other drivers.

"Look," Melaana told him. "I'll find my own way back. If you take that alley up there you can get your family out of this mess."

He saw where she was pointing and nodded. "I think you're right. You be careful, little Mel. Brem would never forgive us if we lost you," he rumbled in his deep bass voice.

"I will and thank you. I'll send him word to let him know I've got home alright. And Edda please let me know when the baby comes!"

"That I'll do." She smiled.

Melaana grabbed her bag and jumped down from the wagon. It was easier on foot to fight her way through the press of vehicles. Something big had to be going on. She had been right with her earlier assumption. A great number of the service carts and speeders were headed to or from her own home. One of mother's parties no doubt, but Melaana didn't remember anything being on the calendar. It was probably the last minute nature of the thing that was the cause for all the rush. Whatever it was, it made sneaking into the kitchen entrance as easy as, well, slipping around the porters carrying in the large cake.

On her way through she swiped a chocolate truffle off the top of a pyramid of sweets and popped it into her mouth. The head cook saw her and started to scold but then realized who it was in the gypsy dress and scarf and apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry, Miss Melaana, you go right ahead. Is there anything else you'll be needing?"

She was a little taken aback the treatment. The kitchen staff were generally accommodating to her every wish but this was excessively formal. "Maybe a juice sent up to my room in a bit, please?" Her throat was a little dry from the journey in the wagon.

The cook had to remove someone from another job that they were busy at and task them with the job. "If it's too much trouble, don't..." Melaana began but the cook just smiled.

She was busy but in her element, "Never too much trouble my dear."

Melaana thanked her and continued through the press of people and food preparation toward the back stairs. When she reached the stairs however her progress was impeded once again. This time by a couple not busy with party preparations but rather with each other. One of the pair Melaana was quite sure was her brother.

She had known for some time that Sanjay nursed a considerable amour for the fruit seller's daughter and that they were only able to see each other on delivery days. Unless Melaana was mistaken today wasn't a normal fruit delivery day but there may have been extra call for fresh produce with all this party chaos.

She gave them a moment and then in a voice so like her mother's that it scared even Melaana herself, she called out, "Sanjay Rash you'll spoil your appetite!"

She was in for a surprise when they both spun to face her. It was the fruit girl but she was also one of the girls Melaana had spent the last three days getting to know at the Fete.

"Shara, I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you!"

"I'm rather glad you didn't." The girl laughed. "I'd much rather you knew me as Shara the dalgos rider than Shara the fruit merchant's daughter." She straitened her clothing.

Sanjay just looked amused now that he knew it was only his little sister who had discovered them and he knew enough of Melaana's secrets that he could be sure she wouldn't give them away.

Melaana grinned at them both. "How about Shara my sister-in-law?"

Shara blushed. "I really should be getting home. I came here first when I got back to the city."

Sanjay grabbed her hand before she could leave and drew her close for one last quick kiss. "I'll see you soon."

"Goodbye, Sanjay." She gave the other girl a nod. "Mel."

The siblings watched her go. "So you two are friends now?" Sanjay asked.

"She's nice and she's an amazing dalgos rider! She can stand on the back of one of the creatures while it's running around a ring and hit blaster targets at one hundred meters! I think you should marry her."

"Well maybe I can get away with it now that one of us has made a proper match." He pulled out piece of shuura fruit and took a bite.

"Did Shara tell you about my engagement?" Melaana asked.

He swallowed. "Tell me? Why would she have to tell me? That's what all this is about." He gestured back into the busy kitchen.

"All this? But they couldn't possibly know about..."

"While you were gone they finalized the arrangements. It's going to be quite a party. You should see the guest list. Your betrothal ranks the top military brass, a baron, a senator and there was a rumor that Dendup himself was invited."

"My betrothal to... Dane Bonteri?" She realized. "But no! I can't possibly! Bremon asked me to marry him three days ago and I said yes to him!"

"You're going to have to take that up with Mother. I don't think she's about to cancel the party now. Maybe you can just have the baker change the names on the cake."

She gave him a dirty look and then started to stomp up the stairs. "I can't believe this!"

When she reached her room there were already an army of attendants waiting for her and her mother seemed to appear like magic, already in full flow. "There you are. Well I'm not going to even ask why you're dressed like a circus performer and smell like an animal pen. Your hair looks fine but is that hay in it? Oh it will have to be washed and re-done." she gestured to one of the hairdressers. "Can you copy that twist after her hair is washed and dried? Melaana go immediately to your bath. Everything else has been taken care of..."

"Everything else has not been taken care of, Mother! I can't..."

"Don't be silly, Melaana. We know you weren't at Katia's but your father and I have been able to make all the final arrangements while you were... " She waved a hand. " wherever you were. I might suggest the plan to my friends who still have unmarried daughters. Send them away and get everything done without them interfering." She laughed. "Really though, Melaana." She put a hand on her daughter's cheek. "Your father and I couldn't be more proud. I'm off to get ready myself. I'll be back in to check on you before you're presented."

"Yes, Mother." She grumbled after the woman had gone. The hairdresser tried to memorize the twist Bremon had carefully arranged that morning before she let it out. And then Melaana was stripped of her beast rider attire, scrubbed of the dust from the trail, and remade into the perfect aristocratic bride to be. She tried to think of a way out while she was squeezed into a corset and dressed in a sparkling new gown and forced to sit while the hairdresser with much more product and pulling and pins tried to re-create Bremon's easy twist.

Just as she promised, her mother returned an hour later, exclaiming over her dress and her make-up and her hair that for all the work and time and pain endured still didn't hold a candle to Bremon's creation.

"Mother, I can't go through with this." Melaana tried to protest once again.

Mother had tears of joy in her eyes. "Oh nonsense. You look simply beautiful. I know you're nervous but just think of how kind the dear Lieutenant has been these past weeks. He gave you your little ship and your flying lessons and the two of you get along so well. It's - it's going to be..." She gave a great sob. "Oh my darling girl... married!" she waved her hands in front of her face. "And now just look at me, going to pieces. I had better go have Jenna take a last look at my make-up before I go down to greet your guests."

"But Mother I can't..." Melana tried again. "...marry Dane." She finished lamely after her mother had already flitted off out the door.

Sanjay poked his head in a few minutes later.

"Here to make sure I don't make a break for it?" she asked him.

He smiled sympathetically at her and held out his arms. She went to her brother and hugged him. "I can't do this. I can't say I'm going to marry a man who I don't love. Especially since I already said I would marry someone else. Bremon's going to... when he hears... "

"Melaana," her brother said softly. "I don't have all the answers but I would advise that you petition for a long engagement. A lot can happen in a year or two..."

"I'm still not going to want to marry Dane in a year..." She started to protest again but Sanjay put a finger to her lips to quiet her.

"A lot can happen in a year." He repeated slower this time. "He's a soldier. He might have to go away, possibly meet someone else, change his mind..."

"Someone else... change his mind..." The wheels were turning now. Melaana knew what she had to do. She brightened, gave her brother a tight hug and pulled down his face to kiss his cheek. "Sani, you're brilliant! You said the Baron was invited tonight and the Senator?"

"Well yes." he answered confused at her reaction.

"When am I to be introduced? Can we go down now?" she asked excitedly.

"I don't believe the Bonteris have arrived yet. They want Dane to be waiting in the entrance hall when you descend the stairs."

"Okay." She started pacing back and forth trying to think of what she would say and how to go about putting her plan into action.

Something scratched at the window. She'd been expecting it for hours and now she couldn't be more happy to see the little avian bringing her a message from her love.

Melaana,

First of all I miss you terribly already. After spending three days in such close quarters even with our faithful chaperons watching out for us, these past few hours apart have felt like days. I told my uncle as soon as I got the chance that I asked you to be my wife. He says he knew all along that this day was coming and he will do all he can to help us fulfill our destiny.

...Melaana could almost hear his eyes roll when she read this part of the letter and she laughed...

My dear, I'm afraid I heard the most distressing gossip. They say that there's to be a celebration at your home tonight, that all the most important people have been invited to attend your engagement party. Please, tell me it isn't so, that there has been some mistake. I had hoped that soon you might invite me to your home to meet your family and that we could announce our engagement to them together.

I love you, Mel, and I can't wait for the day when we are husband and wife and we can put all this posturing and games behind us.

Yours now and aways,

Bremon

There were tears in her eyes as she searched her desk for a sheet of flimsy and a pen. Sanjay stood to the side wondering what it was all about. He picked up the letter she had laid down and read it curiously while she wrote one in return. She didn't stop her brother. She was in too big of a hurry to get a response written and sent.

Brem,

It's as you feared. I came home and the preparations were already well underway. My parents have arranged for my betrothal to Lieutenant Dane Bonteri. He means nothing to me. My heart will always and forever belong to you. So don't worry, my sweet, I do have a plan. I believe that Dane's heart also belongs to another and I intend to remind them both of this and encourage them that I do not mean to get in their way. Hopefully very soon I will be able to send you news of my success.

I love you more than I can say or put into words in ink!

Love,

Your Mel

She rolled the note and looked seriously into the eyes of the little messenger. "Deliver this quickly. I don't want him to worry. And then come back so I can let him know what happens."

The avian tilted it's head to the side and opened it's beak for the message. Then as soon as it had it's purpose it flew off into the dusk.

Melaana watched it go with hope filling her heart.

Behind her Sanjay cleared his throat. "He really does love you, doesn't he?"

"Mmmhmm." she answered without looking at him.

"And you think you have a plan?"

"I do." She turned with a determined set to her jaw.

Just then a servant appeared in the doorway. "Mistress Rash, your parents and guests await you in the entrance hall."

"Thank you." She nodded and offered her hand to her brother to escort her down.

"You amaze me, little sister." He whispered to her as he led her out into the hall and toward the grand stairway.

"I do aim high, my brother." She was smiling by the time they reached the first landing. She looked out over the crowd of guests as if she could think of no where else she would rather be. And then her gaze fell on Dane.

He was trying very hard not to look miserable, she could tell. So she grinned at him and winked. His brows furrowed for a moment and then he smirked back at her and just barely shook his head. If anyone was really paying attention to the exchange they surely wouldn't have understood. As it was, there were 'ooo's' and 'Ah's' and when she finally stepped up to him and he took her hand and brushed her knuckles with his lips no one in the room could be in doubt that the couple they were here to celebrate were very much in love. They just couldn't possibly know that the boy and girl in question were in love with entirely different people.

Melaana took his arm and he led her out to the dance floor. As they began the first steps of their waltz he whispered to her, "You're looking very devious this evening, Miss Rash."

"Why thank you, Lieutenant Bonteri. It must be all the fresh air and sunshine."

He spun her out and back and nodded. "That's right you've been missing for the last few days. Though I heard you didn't take either of your ships. I was a little surprised to hear that. I thought you had grown attached to your er gift."

"Oh I have. 'The Ruping Queen' is a marvelous craft." She smiled honestly. "I do thank you again."

"It was my pleasure to give you something I knew you would use and enjoy."

They twirled around and around to the delight of most of their audience. Melaana was still looking around whenever she could to catch sight of the Senator. Some how she didn't think Mina Skelari would be quite as happy as some of the other party goers.

"So," Dane picked up the conversation again. "Where were you, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

"Of course you may. A friend invited me to the Beast Riders' Summer Fete. I've always been interested in their culture so I jumped at the opportunity."

"Ah, and was it an enjoyable event to witness?" he asked.

"Witness? My dear sir, I was a participant." She stated proudly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? You played your flute for the singing?"

"Well yes," she grinned. "But you mustn't think 'the Queen' only the first ruping I've ever flown."

He looked at her with true admiration. "You never cease to amaze me, Miss Rash."

"Have you seen them in flight, Lieutenant?" She asked sweetly.

"I have actually. I attended a Fete a few years ago with one of my fellow officers. He was just telling me the other day how much he wished he could have attended this season's events."

"Oh really?" She wondered if this officer could be acquainted with Bremon. "Who is this officer? Have I met him?"

"Tandin is his name. He's here tonight." Dane nodded in the direction of the smartly uniformed gentleman.

Melaana looked and saw not only Tandin but also the young woman who was standing next to him, looking sad and slightly ill. Dane seemed to have noticed her also. He swallowed and tried to focus once again on his dance partner.

"So he," Melaana tried to pick up the conversation. "He was not able to get the time off for the Fete but he did take leave for your betrothal ceremony ?"

"He's..." Dane cleared his throat. "Tandin is actually on duty tonight. He agreed to cover for me so that I could be free. He's..."

"He's guarding the senator." she finished for him.

"I will probably see if he can take up the post permanently since you and I... It will give me more free time to be involved in our wedding preparations."

"Oh no, you mustn't!" Melaana stopped him and he looked at her strangely. "I mean you must be loyal to your post until your duty is fulfilled."

They stopped dancing and he steered her to a quieter spot where they could speak semi-privately. No one questioned the couple wanting to be alone together.

"Melaana, I don't think you understand." He took her shoulders gently and looked into her eyes. "I told you that once things were settled I would be loyal to you. If I... if I'm with her, even professionally..."

"I think I do understand and I don't believe anything will be settled until vows are said."

He was hurting, she knew. He was trying to do what was right and it was tearing him apart.

"Dane, why don't you get us a couple of drinks. I'm going to go powder my nose." She was giving him the time to collect his thoughts but she also had the beginnings of a plan ticking away in her brain.

"Alright." He nodded, started to turn away from her and then as if reminding himself of his purpose and to the delight of the few guests who witnessed it, he kissed her forehead.

She smiled sadly at him as he walked off towards the bar and then made her own way toward the place where she had last seen Tandin and the Senator. It took longer than it should have to traverse such a short space as so many people wanted to complement her and wish her well. When she finally reached the last spot she had seen them, her quarry was no where in sight.

With a sigh she headed toward the powder room as she had told Dane she would. She was not entirely surprised to find the door guarded.

"Tandin, isn't it?" Melaana asked him.

He nodded and smiled. "That's right, Miss Rash, and may I offer my congratulations on your betrothal."

"I suppose you may, thank you." She answered rather dismissively. "The Lieutenant was just telling me that he accompanied you to a Summer Fete some seasons ago. I've just returned from this season's festivities and found it quite to be quite an enjoyable experience."

"Oh? Well, yes." He said awkwardly. "Perhaps the two of you can attend together some..."

She interrupted him, "He also mentioned that you were covering for him this evening, guard duty?"

"That's correct. The senator just hand to..." He nodded toward the fresher door and then blushed, embarrassed by the distinctly horrid sound of retching that carried out to them from the room.

Melaana ignored it tactfully. "If you'll excuse me. I'll check on her, shall I?"

"Thank you, Miss." He gave her a small smile of relief.

Melaana entered the 'fresher and was met by the sound of continued heaving and the splat of liquid against porcelain. She made a face at herself in the mirror over the sink. Then she spoke to the reflection of the stall door. "Is there anything I can do to help? Can I get you something?"

T here was an answering startled gasp, and then the flush of the toilet. "No, that won't be necessary."

Melaana got out a towel anyway and ran it under the cool water in the sink. "Didn't sound pleasant. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just... I probably shouldn't have come at all... I'm ..." Mina Skelari left the stall and met the eyes of the younger girl in the mirror. "No, I definitely shouldn't have c ome. I'm sorry, Miss Rash. I'll just... congratulations on your betrothal. I won't bother you any further."

Melaana held out the wet towel to her and ignored the protests. "If you're not feeling well I can take you to a place where you can lie down for a while."

"No, thank you, that won't be necessary. It'll pass soon." She took the towel and wiped her face. Maybe she hoped t hat she could also wipe away the guilty expression.

As kindly as she could Melaana asked. "How far along are you? I don't mean to pry. I have a friend who's about to deliver any day, her second. She said the sickness was terrible in the first couple of months with both of hers."

The senator sighed as if accepting her doom. "About a month, I think."

"And it's... his?" Melaana reached out to put a comforting hand on the senator's shoulder but Mina flinched.

"You must think I'm a terrible person, coming to his... your engagement party, like this."

"Does he know?" Melaana asked.

Mina shook her head and dabbed at the tears in her eyes. "I couldn't tell him. He's got you... and I..." she swallowed and said determinedly. "I'm going back to Coruscant in the morning."

"Oh Mina , you must tell him! And you must request that he return with you to Coruscant as your guard!"

The senator gaped at her. "But you're... It's your betrothal they're all here to celebrate!"

"I can't be engaged to Dane Bonteri." Melaana smiled and continued proudly. "Someone else already asked me to be his wife three days ago and I said, yes. So you really would be doing me a gigantic favor if you could take the Lieutenant away to Coruscant."

Mina shook her head, amazed and then also smiled as fresh tears sprang to her eyes. "Are you serious?"

Melaana nodded and took both the other girl's hands in hers. "I'm sure Dane will make a wonderful husband, but not mine. He loves you. I'm certain of it."

The senator for the first time began to have a flicker of hope in her eyes. "Do you really think... But your betrothal? Your family?"

"Senator, I'm sure you're a wonderful diplomat but leave my family to me." Melaana grinned. "You're going to have a family of your own. Your baby needs its father."

"You're right." Mina nodded. "I'll request for him to come back to Coruscant with me as my personal guard. He's familiar with the way I run my household, so it makes sense for him to know the best ways insure my safety."

"How soon can you send a comm to his superior officers?" Melaana asked, getting more excited all the time. "If he receives the order I know he'll follow it."

Mina had a small purse with her and from within it she pulled a commlink with a smile. "I'll contact them immediately."

Melaana couldn't help but spring forward and hug the other girl. Mina tensed for a moment and then hugged her back. "I should get back to the party. They'll be missing me. And I promise to act terribly distraught when Dane gets the news that he has to leave tomorrow. But, Oh, Mina, good luck!"

"I don't know how to thank you." The senator sniffed.

"Thank me? I should be thanking you. Don't forget this is giving me the opportunity to be with the man I love, also."

"Oh yes, of course. Good luck to you as well."

Melaana smiled, happy that they would both have their happy endings. She went to the door of the 'fresher and then looked back. "I won't tell Dane about the baby. I'll let you do that. Maybe..." she blushed. "One day when you're back from senating, maybe Bremon and I will have a little one too, and they can be friends." She slipped out the door and nearly bumped into Tandin.

"Is she alright then?" The guard asked.

"Of course." Melaana couldn't stop smiling now. "Just ate a little something that didn't agree with her. She'll be out in a moment and I think she'll be back with her regular guard soon, so you'll be able to go back to your normal duties."

He frowned wondering how she could possibly know this and how she could be so happy about the idea of the Senator returning to her 'regular' guard.

"I'd better get back to Dane now he'll think I've flown away." She grinned and returned to the ballroom. And there he was holding two drinks and looking lost. She hurried over to him and anyone who saw her jumped out of her way thinking that she was speeding toward her lover. "Did you miss me?" she asked.

"Well, I..." he handed her a drink. "I did wonder where you'd gone."

She took a sip. "I think everything is going to work out just fine."

"Oh you do?" he asked and took a sip of his own drink.

"Yes I do. You just keep being the marvelous soldier that I know you are, fulfilling your duty and making me proud."

He gave her a curious look. "and nothing will be settled until vows are said?"

"Exactly! Someone's vows anyway." She clinked her glass against his and threw back the rest of hers in one gulp.

"Yes, you are looking quite devious tonight, Miss Rash." He drank from his own glass a bit slower. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the friend who invited you to the Summer Fete, would it?"

"It may very well indeed, Lieutenant Bonteri."

* * *

and i'm totally geeking out right now because Ashley Eckstein retweeted a pic of the Rex and Ahsoka b-day cakes i made for my kiddos and wished them a happy b-day!


	17. Ner Ad'ika

Title is Mando'a for 'my dear child'. After Soniee's graduation ceremony there is an official dinner and then one more night in the palace before she can go home to Concord Dawn. There are still secrets to be kept and the price for keeping them.

* * *

Soniee thought that Korkie might have finally understood the need for the deception or at least he was too distracted by the revelation that he was going to be a father to mind much that his wife was being escorted around the reception hall by Lux Bonteri and that the Senator from Onderon was seated next to her at dinner. Korkie had never seemed to think of Lux as much of a rival. It was the Coruscant clone guard who the beskar'gam clad Protector kept a close watch on. Korkie and Fox stayed with in a few paces of the apparent couple, and Soniee did her best to ignore them and keep up the charade.

"Lux?" she asked sipping water after claiming that she was too giddy already for champaign and she didn't want to loose her head upon being reunited with her old friend from Galactic City. She had given the senator a coy smile and the nobles and dignitaries indulged her.

Now that he had been introduced to her mother officially before all the holocams the gossip nets were sure to have all kinds of bets placed on how soon it would be before their engagement was announced. Soniee just decided to enjoy the relative privacy they were given to chat normally. "Do you speak, Onderonian?"

"It's been ages since I had anyone to speak it with for practice. When I was home, when we were freeing Iziz from King Rash and his Separatist over lords, I got to speak it some. Mostly we used Basic for Ahsoka and the other Jedi's benefit. Steela spoke it beautifully. She and her brother would have amazing arguments that I could hardly follow."

She smiled at the look on his face when he remembered the girl who had led their rebellion and given her life in the struggle. "Could you say something? I keep wondering if it would sound familiar to me."

"Alright." Lux screwed up his forehead, thinking, and then launched into an almost musical cadence of syllables that did indeed seem to strike some chord in her. A few other people at the table looked their direction.

"And what did that mean?" Soniee smiled when he had finished. "You haven't just pledged your heart to mine all the days of our lives?" she took another sip of her water and there were titters of laughter all around the table from those who were paying attention.

"No." He also laughed. "It was just a nursery rhyme, something my mother used to read aloud to me from a book. It's something about a chronometer and a rodent who climbs up it and then gets scared by the chime and runs down again. I don't think a few of the words even have Basic translations, just nonsense."

Almec, who was looking more fit without Maul hovering over his shoulder, raised a glass of wine to them. "Perhaps one day, Mr. Bonteri can recite the rhyme to his own children and pass on the tradition." Passing on traditions was a very Mandalorian sentiment, and Soniee thought she could sense a bit of nostalgia from the old man, as if he was regretting having to play servant to an outsider.

Then someone asked Soniee. "Will your children be taught the Onderonian language or will they stick to good old Mando'a?"

The question hit a lot closer to home in her present condition and she wished she could steer away from the topic. Momma put an end to it for her before she could respond. "Son'ika won't have to worry about that for a good long time."

The assembled dinner party laughed and returned to their own conversations leaving Lux and Soniee to pick up again where they had left off.

"What's the sudden interest?" he asked her.

"Well it's not so that I can... you know... teach it to anyone. I just was curious." She chewed her lip. "Can you write the runes as well?"

"Ah that's more difficult. I don't know that my penmanship was ever up to what my tutors would have liked. I think I could still read the words if they were printed. I have to constantly remind myself that I'm supposed to be tracking from right to left."

"So it is a right to left language. I thought it must be." She said, excitedly.

Lux mused. "Have you found something written in the old runes?"

Soniee smiled. "I think I found my birth mother's journal some weeks back. I've been trying to do some research on how to understand it but I think I might have to find an Onderonian scholar to walk me through it."

"Do you have it here with you at the palace?" he asked.

"No, I left it back at home. Didn't think you would be here to ask." She elbowed him for surprising her.

He laughed. "That's exciting, having something that belonged to her. Is any of it in Basic? Names or dates or anything like that?"

She nodded. "The dates are in standard form and there's an inscription in Basic in the front cover. I believe it was a gift from her brother for her 16th life day. Her name was Melaana. And there are a few letters tucked between the pages, love letters I think, from someone called Bremon. I think he might be my father."

"Well, of course, I'll do whatever I can to help you translate them. What an amazing find. And we'll know for sure that we're not related." He smirked. "My father's name was Dane and I think he mostly stuck to Basic."

"That's good to know. I'll scan a few of the pages and do a data transfer when I get back home. It would be wonderful to really know what happened to them."

"I'll look forward to receiving them and if I can't make heads or tails of them, I'm sure some of my contacts back on Onderon will help us out."

Soniee smiled. "Thanks Lux, I appreciate it."

"Anytime. What are long lost brothers for?"

* * *

She was sure Maul would have called her in to speak to him privately after the reception. She was sure he would have plucked something from her mind or Korkie's or Lux's about her condition. She was more certain of it by the hour, that sense of new life taking shape deep within her. She tried to keep her mind off of it afraid that her focus would attract the attention of the more powerful Force user. That was proving impossible. Still Maul didn't request her and after she said goodbye to all of the guests who had come to celebrate her accomplishment, Korkie was able to escort her back to her chambers without any further comment.

Korkie was quiet while he helped her out of her fancy gown and then removed his own armored plates.

"I expected you'd be full of questions," she broke the silence after a while, watching him.

"Like, why did you kiss him?" his voice held a pain that he had hidden so well until now. She had thought he was just considering his impending fatherhood. She hadn't realized that her play acting with Lux was still bothering him.

"I heard someone coming." She answered as levelly as she could. "He was about to say something that could have given us away. I did it to get him to shut-up."

"He knew about our child. You told him before you told me."

"He guessed. He saw me refuse a glass of wine. I didn't intend to tell him. I wanted to wait to tell you till we got home, till we could celebrate together privately."

"You wanted to wait?" The look in his eyes was almost too painful for her to retain the contact. "You promised me that you would tell me as soon as you suspected. After your dreams, your fears, I didn't, I don't want you to have to face a moment of this alone. We're in this together, aren't we? It is mine, isn't it?"

Soniee gasped. The words stabbed into her.

He realized his mistake in an instant. "Oh Force. Soniee I shouldn't have said... I didn't mean it. I know you haven't... Kriff..."

She allowed him to pull her into his arms but she didn't embrace him in return. She was barely restraining herself from pushing him away, knowing that she would hurt him if she did.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." he said over and over again.

Finally when she thought she had some measure of control, that she wouldn't use the Force without meaning to, she pushed him gently to arms length. "It's been a stressful couple of days. I think maybe I just need to get some rest."

"Of course." He seemed glad just that she was talking calmly to him again and he went to turn down the covers on the bed.

"Alone."

He froze with his hands still on the sheets. "Soniee I..."

"We can discuss it tomorrow when we're away from this place, away from anyone who might be listening."

Maybe he understood her fear that Maul might be able to read her mind. Maybe he just wanted to placate his emotional wife. He didn't argue, though she could sense in him the great desire to just hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright.

She turned away from him and waited for him to go. Before he did however he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He placed one hand gently on her abdomen and he whispered. "I love you... both."

She almost called him back but instead she just stood there. And then the tears came, wracking sobs that shook her whole body. Finally after a long time she must have crossed to the bed, fallen into it, and pulled up the covers.

When she woke again she didn't feel refreshed. Her head ached from the crying she had done the night before and she missed waking up next to her husband. She didn't know if he had found somewhere else to sleep, only that he wasn't waiting right outside the door, guarding her still. When the comm unit on the door chimed, it made her jump.

"Yes?" She answered it right away.

"It's Rau." said the voice and she wilted a little.

"What is it?"

"We're getting everything ready for your return to Concord Dawn, but Maul wanted another word with you before you leave." Soniee had never known a father but she wondered if any man could have sounded more fatherly, stern but protective, as Fenn Rau did just then. "Your Buir and I will go with you, of course."

"I just woke. I'll need to get cleaned up and dressed."

"Take all the time you need. We'll be ready accompany you. Rau out."

She smiled at the automatic soldier's goodbye. Maybe Momma had given him a talk, too.

A bath felt good but she didn't linger. The tiny mass of cells and tissues and even now the beginnings of minuscule organs were almost impossible to ignore but she must ignore the sensations if she was going to go before Maul. She held her crystal tightly in her hand while LEP-1K0 helped her to dress in a simple traveling outfit. She tried to keep herself busy giving packing instructions but the droid of course knew more about how to pack up the trunks of clothing than she did. Then for a few minutes she tried to meditate twirling the crystal between her fingers.

She felt calmer when she finally opened the door and found two beskar-gam clad Protectors waiting for her.

One of them spoke with Momma's voice. "Are you alright, ad'ika? The boy was all out of sorts when he left your room last night."

The other protector laid a hand on her gauntlet. "Not time for that right now, Veek. I'm sure they'll sort it out later."

"Thank you." Soniee nodded at Rau. "Yes. I'll explain everything later. Lets just get this over with."

If Maul noticed that one of the protectors was Soniee's parent he didn't let on and he didn't mention anything about her love life or what it had resulted in. The Sith still seemed to be laser focused on the crystal she wore around her neck.

"Can I see it again?" He asked and Soniee, once again happy that he either didn't know or was ignoring her other issues, went toward him with the crystal on her open palm for him to view.

Just like before, he didn't make a move to touch it or take it away. "I was wondering if I could pay you a visit on Concord Dawn, if you would perhaps show me where you found such a priceless treasure?"

Soniee noticed now how harried the Zabrak looked, almost like Almec when he had too long endured the berating of his Master.

"A visit?" she asked. She could feel the aversion from the protectors behind her but she didn't see anyway around it. "I'm sure we would be honored to host your social call."

He smiled so sincerely it was frighting and took her hand, crystal and all, in both of his. "You are such a special child."

Soniee could feel Momma and Rau behind her ready to pounce. Maybe Maul could as well. And she thought he might have sensed their connection to her now as well.

"If I had ever had a daughter of my own I could have never hoped for one more deserving."

She pulled her hand back and thankfully still had the crystal in her own possession. She didn't speak.

"I look forward to our next meeting, _Ad'ika_." His use of the word almost put Veeka Ordo over the edge but Soniee used her power and Fen Rau used his to lead the woman out of the room.


	18. family way

More people are made aware of the upcoming blessed event and I borrow another character from Karen Traviss. Plus Momma Ordo reveals an easter egg from a couple of my previous stories.

* * *

Soniee had been too distracted to notice that one of her protectors wasn't with them as Almec came out to the ship to wish her a formal farewell. Momma explained to her later that Bo-Katan had received a message from Lagos. Soniee's old room mate had some false labor symptoms. It wouldn't be long now. Bo had practically adopted Lagos as one of her Night Owls and maybe she felt a little bit responsible since she had led the mission that resulted in the death of the baby's father.

They were all glad to be done with Sundari when they finally ascended the ramp that would take them home to Concord Dawn. Momma was so mad about the encounter with Maul that she was shaking. Rau seemed to know just the right distance to stay away from her while she paced but still to be there if and when she needed him. Soniee admired him for that.

She was watching the two of them while the hatch closed and as soon as it did Korkie ripped off his helmet and came to her side. "Come and sit down. Is there anything I can get for you? Water. You don't want to get to dehydrated." He found a glass and ran to fill it and brought it back. Soniee was looking at him just as strangely as the other two. They had stopped what they were doing and were gaping at him.

"Korkie, please, this isn't necessary. I'm fine." But she realized what he was doing. He had been trying so hard not to give her away by taking care of her and now he wanted to make up for it. It was sweet and infuriating all at the same time.

He sat next to her on the acceleration couch and whispered. "Please forgive me."

"I already have." She welcomed him into a hug and looked over her shoulder at Buir and Rau who were still standing their staring.

"Son'ika," her Momma began slowly. "You're not..."

Soniee looked at Korkie and he looked back at her shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I've done it again. I know this isn't how you would have liked to tell them."

She sighed. "It'll probably be a week or so till I can confirm anything but I have felt... different for the past couple of days."

"That's why you weren't drinking wine at dinner." Momma was still trembling but now it was not from anger. Having never experienced pregnancy herself she really didn't know how to respond.

"I was hoping no one else had noticed that," said Soniee

Rau put his hand on Momma's shoulder. "Someone else noticed? Could there be a problem with this knowledge getting out?"

Soniee looked at Korkie and then back at the other two. "It was just Lux. Lux Bonteri noticed. But he's a good friend he wouldn't... I asked him not to say anything. I trust him."

Rau nodded. "That's good for now but, are we worried about the knowledge of the pregnancy or only the identity of the child's father. Korkie is supposed to still be missing after all."

Momma spoke up then. "Anyone who knows about Soniee's Force-sensitivity will be wondering about what the child will be capable of. I assume that's why you didn't want that monster to find out about it, why you were waiting to tell us all?"

"Yes, that was exactly my thought," said Soniee.

"Hmm." Rau thought. "It's going to be obvious sooner or later..."

"Satine was able to keep Korkie a secret when she was carrying him." Soniee offered.

Rau suggested. "If this Bonteri is such a good friend, and the holo nets already suspect there's something going on. Maybe he could step in as a sort of..."

"That will not be happening!" Korkie finally spoke up. "And can we please stop for a moment discussing this like a battle plan and just ... just." He grinned. "We're gonna have a baby!" He dropped to the floor in front of Soniee's seat so that his face was level with her stomach and kissed her flat belly. "I'm gonna be a father!"

Soniee made a sound that was something between a sob and a laugh.

"Of course," Momma sniffed back tears of her own. "It's wonderful."

Soniee still wasn't quite sure how she felt about it, but Korkie's joy was so infectious that she couldn't help but smile. They would have plenty of time to worry later. He grinned up at her and then whispered to her belly, "You're not a burden. You're a miracle, a gift from the Force, and your momma and dad love you very much."

"Korkie, I don't think it can hear yet." Soniee loved him so much in that moment.

He hopped up next to her on the couch and kissed her. "I'll just have to keep saying it until it can and then every day after that. And our baby will sense it. It'll know how much we love it."

"Our baby." She said, taking in the meaning of the words.

And Korkie repeated. "Our baby."

* * *

She sensed him coming and sighed. Then she went back to work trying to finish as much of the coolant system calibration as she could before he would drag her away from it as she knew he would. Or he would try anyway.

She saw his feet marching across the garage floor to where she was lying on the repulsor cart under the speeder.

"Soniee, what the kriff are you... You can't possibly be..." and Korkie finished with a few other curses which probably weren't the worst Momma's garage had heard in the past 20 years with Momma banging around in here.

Soniee slid out from under the vehicle and wiped her hands on a cloth. "I do hope you'll clean up your language before the baby is able to hear you." She flipped up her old data visor, she always preferred doing maintenance work with the old tech rather than her buy'ce, and glared at her husband.

"Language? My language is what you're worried about while your scrambling around under speeders? What if the repulsors failed while you were under there? You and our child could be crushed!"

She rolled her eyes while he helped her to sit up, taking extra care as if she were made of glass.

"Korkie, I've been doing this for years and the repulsors on this thing are fine. I'm just giving it a tune up. Momma's been working on all Rau's Protector ships. She's backlogged here at the shop. I'm trying to help her out."

"But," he looked around the shop trying to think of some other excuse. "The fumes."

"If it will make you feel any better I'll wear the buy'ce with the environmental filters but I can't just sit around for nine months. I'll go mad! And I feel fine. I haven't even been nauseous."

In the nine days since they had returned from the graduation ceremony Soniee had been able to confirm her pregnancy and then do little else with all of Korkie's hovering.

"You don't think that means something could be wrong? Bo said it was normal that Lagos was so sick. What if..." He started at it again.

The truth was Soniee had wondered the same thing but she wasn't going to tell Korkie that. "The holos say there's a whole range of what's normal. She felt sick. I don't. Maybe I will later on. I'm not going to wish for puking all the time."

He nodded, but did not look reassured. "Maybe we should still get you looked at by a doctor. There's a good one in Enceri, Doctor Gilamar. I think that's who Lagos is seeing. He wouldn't give us away. We could trust him."

She smiled. It really was sweet that her husband was so protective of she and their child. "Alright. If it would make you feel better. I'll see the doctor." Not to mention it would reassure her as well.

She could see, not just sense him, physically relax.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to quit working on these speeders while I'm still able, though." she threw at him and laid back down on the cart ready to get back to the job at hand.

He growled but he allowed it, staying right beside her while she worked, and determined to save her if the speeder suddenly came crashing down.

"Korkie?" she asked as she continued working. "I've been thinking about us maybe settling somewhere else other than Concord Dawn."

"Why? I thought you loved it here. It's where you grew up. It's home."

"Well yes, but there was something Maul said while we were in Sundari. He said he wanted to pay me a visit here. I don't want to put Momma and Babuir and everyone else in danger. I wonder if they might be safer if I left. Maul's only interested in me, not them."

Korkie's hand was on her knee, just like when she used to work on the speeders in the garage at the Academy. "He'd be interested in our baby too if he found out."

"Yes." she answered quietly.

"Enceri then." He said decisively. "There are friends there who would hide us and we could still keep up with everything that's going on and be ready to help when the time comes."

"You said that's where Lagos is?" Soniee asked.

"I think so, yes. We'd better hurry if you want to be there for her little one's arrival. Bo said it might be any day now."

She slid out from under the speeder and smiled at him. "Let's go, then, soon, as soon as we can arrange it."

Korkie grinned at her. "Alright, and we'll have our own place, not just the B-7 I mean, a house, a place where our baby can grow up. And Lagos and her kid will be there. They can grow up together."

She sat up and hugged him. "I can't think of anything I'd like better."

Then suddenly she was deadly serious again. "Korkie. What if... what if it's not me that I've been dreaming about? What if it's Lagos?"

He looked deep into her eyes. "We'll start packing now, alright? We'll comm your Momma and let her know where we've gone when we're in the air! We'll get there in time. Don't worry."

She nodded and they were on their way.

Momma said she understood completely but to Soniee's annoyance she took Korkie's side in reference to her daughter's work ethic.

"I swear the two of you want me to be bored to death." Soniee grumbled to the holo image of her mother and her husband who was sitting beside her in the co-pilot seat of the B-7.

"It's a shame I didn't hold on to that midwife droid that came through the crash with you." Momma said to change the subject. "I fixed it up and sold it in Keldabe right after I'd learned enough to care for you on my own."

"You sold the midwife droid who delivered Soniee in Keldabe?" Korkie asked.

"I did. Sold her to..." Momma Ordo was speechless for a moment and then she cursed. "I sold her to Gran Viszla! I knew she looked familiar when I saw her at the Oyu'baat for your wedding!"

"So, you're saying," Soniee grinned at her husband. "That the same med droid who delivered me, also delivered Korkie?"

"You'd have to ask Gran for sure, but I don't know why else a seamstress/armorer would have needed a midwife droid 18 years ago." Momma laughed. "Well, it sounds like you'll be in good hands with Mij."

"Mij?" Soniee asked.

"Doctor Mij Gilamar, he was a friend of Fenn's way back. Another one I was surprised to learn was still around." Veeka raised her eyebrows. Soniee wasn't sure her momma had completely forgiven Rau for his disappearing act. "I'll come around in a few weeks and see how your doing and say hello to the old crowd. _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum,_ Son'ika."

"I love you too, _Ordo'buir_."

* * *

They arrived in Enceri only a couple of hours too late. Tracyn Lok was already resting, healthy and strong in his mother's arms and Lagos was beaming down at him when they entered the house where she was staying.

"He's perfect." Soniee whispered upon seeing him for the first time. She was too nervous to reach out to hold him even though Lagos had said she was welcome to.

"May I?" Korkie asked and after a thorough hand washing he was allowed to take the tiny baby of their two friends in his arms. "Good practice, right Love."

"Yeah." Soniee still kept her distance. She couldn't help but thinking, even though she was thrilled for Lagos, that with this successful birth her nightmares had yet to be fulfilled.

"Soniee, you're not..." Lagos still in a haze of happiness couldn't be more happy that her old roommate would soon experience the same joy.

Korkie answered for her. "That's right!" Cradling the baby in one arm he slipped the other around Soniee's shoulders. "We'll have one of our own in a few months. Just confirmed it a couple of days ago."

"So much for all your chaperoning." Soniee tried to be as happy as they were.

"You have each other. That's what's important." Tears filled the new mother's eyes. "I just wish Amis could see him."

"He can, Lagos." Soniee left Korkie with the baby and went to her friend's side. "He's smiling down from Manda right now and we'll make sure Tracyn knows how great a _verd_ his _buir_ was."

"He was." Lagos nodded. " _Jatnese be te jatnese_ _."_

Korkie was a natural, rocking the tiny little boy, "You hear that, Trac, _Gar sa Buir_ , _Jatnese be te jatnese_." Your father was the best of the best, he cooed at the infant.

Lagos whispered to Soniee, "Korkie is going to be great with your little one too."

Soniee only nodded. She hoped she lived to see it.

"Come and sit down." Korkie told her, nodding to a chair by where he was standing with the baby.

"What?" Soniee paled. "No. I-I couldn't."

But then Lagos was up out of bed too. She obviously felt fine after giving birth. She put her hands on Soniee's shoulder and steered her toward the chair. "Come on. He's right. You do need the practice."

"Please, I don't..." Soniee was trembling as the little bundle was placed in her arms. "He's so small. What if I..." then the baby whimpered and she nearly panicked. "Somebody... take him! He doesn't want me!"

Korkie knelt in front of her, his hands helping her to support the infant. He looked her in the eye. "Soniee, it's alright. Calm down and sense him." It was the strangest thing for him to say and probably wouldn't have made sense to anyone else, but Soniee nodded and took a deep breath and looked into the child's eyes.

He was brand new and yet he was that same pinprick of light that she had sensed so many months ago as a broken piece of Lago's heart. He calmed as she did. "Hello, Tracyn," she whispered.

"She'll get used to it." Lagos said smugly.

Soniee rolled her eyes at her friend. "You can have him back now."

Lagos, obliged mostly just because she wanted to hold her son again, and carried him back to the bed to cuddle with him.

Soniee gripped the arms of the chair breathing rather too quickly with relief.

"Are you alright?" Korkie asked her.

"I'm the one who just had the baby!" Lagos laughed.

"I'm fine." Soniee swallowed. "But..." Her eyes widened. "Its heart is beating!"

"Oh, come on! You can't possibly feel that!" Lagos scoffed.

Korkie was rapt. He put a hand on Soniee's stomach as if he could feel it too.

"I can't feel it or hear it or anything like that. I just know."

"Maybe it can sense Trac! They're friends already!" Korkie grinned.

Lagos shrugged. "Of course they are. Did you ever doubt it?"

They both seemed so sure that everything was going to be alright but Soniee was still trembling.

* * *

Tracyn is Mando'a for Fire!


	19. getting ideas

Well Soniee and Korkie got to hold a new baby in the last chapter so here's a new baby for Mel and Brem to hold. A first look at the future leader of the Onderonian Rebellion.

* * *

Sanjay escorted his sister to the space dock bright and early the next morning to see her betrothed off on his trip to Coruscant but she didn't run straight to him as everyone expected to give him a weepy goodbye. Instead Melaana rushed over to the Senator and pressed a flimsyplast package into Mina's hands. "It's a tea made from roots. It's supposed to help with... air sickness like we talked about last night." She explained. "My friend who suffered something similar said it worked wonders."

Mina smiled. "Thank you, so much. And is your friend..."

Melaana looked both ways to make sure no one was listening and then whispered, "A girl, her name is Steela. I'm going to see her as soon as I leave here."

"Tell her I said congratulations and," she held up the packet of tea. "thank you for this."

"I will." She smiled and then turned to Dane, trying and failing to look distraught that he was leaving.

The Lieutenant gave her an awkward hug. "I'll be back soon and we can get everything settled. I'm so sorry that this came up right now. It's not fair to you."

"Like I said last night, nothing is settled until vows are said," she reminded him. "Just promise me you'll ... do your duty."

He looked a little confused. "Of course I will." Then he bent to kiss her but she turned her head so his lips met her cheek. When she looked over his shoulder she saw, on the east wall of the city, two rupings and a rider silhouetted against the rising sun.

Dane saw where she was looking and glanced back. She blushed and couldn't quite meet his eyes. She couldn't tell if he was disappointed in her, or relieved, or just didn't know what to make of her.

"Nothing settled until... vows are said?" he repeated. Then he smiled and shook his head. "I had no idea that you and the senator had become such good friends."

"We had a nice chat last night at the party, girl stuff, you know." She grinned. "When you comm me you'll have to let me know how she is."

"I'll be sure to do that. Though if I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to get rid of me." He smirked and then he dropped into the act of the doting fiancé as convincingly as any holostar. "And I'll be counting the minutes till I can return to you, my dear."

He bent to kiss her again but she affected a sob, covered her face, and ran back to her brother's waiting arms.

"You're not actually crying, are you?" Sanjay whispered pretending to sooth her.

"Shut-up and play along," she mock-cried into his shoulder.

She glanced back to see the senator place a conciliatory hand on the arm of her guard before he escorted her up the ramp of her shuttle.

"Do you want to watch them take off?" Sanjay asked and Melaana shook her head. He led her away to their speeder.

"To the east gate." Melaana told the driver.

Sanjay stopped him. "That won't look suspicious at all, you flying right off with your beast rider immediately after saying goodbye to your betrothed."

"I told him I'd meet him." Melaana bit back.

"Yes but you can't just have your driver take you straight to him. To the market." Sanjay instructed the driver.

"What are you thinking?" she asked her brother.

Sanjay smirked. "Just that if you get to spend the day with your beast rider, I'd like to spend the day with mine."

Trading places with Shara was easier than Melaana thought it would be. The hardest part was convincing Shara's dalgos to let Melaana ride her out of the city gates. The girls were the same hight and build so with a cape and hood it was easy enough for the fruit merchant's daughter to take the heiress's place in the speeder. And Melaana with the promise of many many sucrose lumps was finally able to sweet talk the noble creature to carry her as far as the cottage where the fruit seller and his wife lived.

She tied up the animal in his own yard and then walked the last couple of blocks to the gate. Even with the disguise, the rupings knew her as soon as she crossed the threshold. A cloth merchant was nearly knocked off the path as Frayl dropped down in front of her. Bremon on his back struggling to keep him in check.

"I missed you, too, you great beast." She pet him and then placing both her hands under his chin and shoving his head upward, gave him the signal to take to the air. She waved at Bremon and then walked a little further up the path to where Princess was waiting at a respectful distance from the pedestrians for her to mount. "Hello, my lady. Take me to, Brem."

Princess took to the air in a graceful bound and began to fly circles around her brother.

"We can't actually take the rupings to see Edda and the baby can we?" Melaana called.

"No. The Gererra's live in the city, so we'll have drop them off before we head back in." Bremon called back to her. "Thought you could use a taste of freedom after last night."

"Thanks." She grinned and whooped as she and Princess went through a series of loops. After a few minutes showing off, out of breath and giggling she brought Princess around to fly beside her brother.

"Feel better?" Bremon asked leaning leisurely on Frayl's neck.

"I do."

"So how did your Betrothal go?" He attempted to keep his nonchalant air but she could tell he hated the idea.

"It didn't take," she shrugged. "Something about already being engaged to somebody else."

He gave her a grin and then took Frayl for a show off run of their own.

They ended up circling the long way around the city from the east gate to the west that was nearer to where the Gerrera's lived. They landed and left the rupings to graze and then hand in hand entered the city. It was a new experience for Melaana to just be a regular girl out for a stroll with her intended. Really it was new to both of them because Bremon stayed out of the city as much as possible. Melaana still had the hood and cloak that she had borrowed from Shara but it really wasn't even necessary. Not that many townspeople knew what the Rash heiress looked like. But they did smile when they saw the couple, obviously in love, walking together through the city streets.

While they walked she told him all about the senator and how much she loved the lieutenant and how Melaana had convinced her to request him to come along and be her guard. She told him about the baby being on the way and how Dane, once he knew, couldn't possibly ignore his duty to his family.

Bremon's brow furrowed. "I still don't see how he could... be with her while his family was negotiating his betrothal. It's..."

"Are you angry with him for cheating on me?" She asked with a laugh.

"Well, you deserve better." He looked down and away from her.

She stopped walking and ducked down and looked up at him to find his eye contact again. "You're forgetting that I do have better. I have you. And I'm not angry with him. It's not his fault anymore than it is mine that our parents tried to put us together. I'm happy for him."

He gave her a grudging smile.

"Besides if he hadn't done it, I might not have had the excuse not to marry him."

"Then I suppose I'm glad, too." He approached her slowly asking permission with his eyes as his face drew close to hers and then their lips met. It didn't matter if they were in a street full of people. Melaana didn't care who saw them.

And quite a few people did. In fact there was a small round of applause for the unknown couple who finally broke apart grinning at each other. Melaana gave a little curtsy to the assembled crowd and then Bremon, a little embarrassed, pulled her forward by her hand to continue on to their destination.

Geb met them at the door of his own little cottage and his pride for the place that he had worked hard to build for his family was plain. Melaana didn't think any less of him for providing them with a dirt floor below and a sturdy roof above the three small rooms. She thought it was wonderful, much more comfortable than drafty marble halls. She was hardly paying attention to the walls or furnishings anyway.

"Can we see the baby?" she asked.

"Of course." His pride obviously extended to his new daughter. He ushered them through to the next room where they were met by the fiercest guard Melaana had ever seen.

Saw all but growled at the visitors. "She's my sister. I take care of her."

Melaana nodded seriously at him. "I have a big brother, too. It's a very important job. Will you let us see her. We promise to be careful."

He shrugged but his face showed the same pride as his father. "I guess." He crossed the room to where his mother was sitting in a rocking chair holding the baby, looked down at the tiny new creature swaddled in the blanket, and made a face. For all his bravado he didn't seem to be all that thrilled with his sister.

Edda ruffled his hair and laughed. "Come on in and see our little Steela."

Melaana and Bremon looked at each other, smiled and then moved forward. "Can I hold her?" Melaana asked.

"I think that would be alright." Edda stood carefully and nodded to the chair. "Sit here."

Melaana quickly dropped into the chair and drew in a breath as the little one was deposited in her arms. "She's beautiful!"

Bremon bent close beside her, silent in awe of the baby and the beautiful girl who looked so natural cradling the infant in her arms.

Edda laughed. "Now don't you two start getting any ideas."

Geb came up beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Too late for that, Love. They'll be wanting one of their own now."

Melaana blushed. She looked from the baby's tiny features up to Bremon who seemed not to have heard a word. He was to busy gazing at her. "Would you like to hold her?" She asked him.

"What? Who? Me?" Bremon stammered.

"Would that be alright?" Melaana asked the baby's parents.

"Sure that would be fine." Edda answered. "I've seen the boy sing a lullaby to a teething dalgos. I would trust any of my children in his capable hands."

Bremon swallowed and gave his head a shake to steady himself and try to focus on the baby rather than on the girl he loved. "Here we go, Steela. Come see Uncle Brem." He was just as gentle with her as he was with any of his creatures. And then he began to sing.

Melaana had heard him sing several times now at the Fete but every time it tugged at her heart.

Saw protested. "Hey! That's my song!"

Bremon paused and looked down at him with a smile. "Well then sing it with me." And the two of them sang together. He was so patient with both of the little ones.

"He will make a wonderful father some day." Edda whispered to Melaana.

"But he's worried," Melaana whispered back. "Something his Uncle said. Something about a prophecy?"

Edda shared an approving glance with her husband. "He told you about that?"

Melaana nodded hoping they would tell her more.

"It's really saying something that he confided in you about that. He doesn't share that with many people. He must really trust you."

"I hope he does." She stared at Bremon loving him even more.

"Well, yes then. Supposedly there was some kind of prophecy that Brem would father a special child. Who knows maybe he's right to be nervous."

Melaana frowned.

Edda patted her arm. "More than likely thought it's just some trick Old Naidon rigged up to scare the boy. Maybe he believes it himself. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Only as much as you are respecting Bremon's feelings about the thing."

"Oh I would never tease him about it. I know he takes it very seriously." Melaana assured the other woman.

Geb spoke then. "I believe you're the best thing that ever happened to that boy. He was always such a dark, quiet child, raised by that wizard. He's got a light in him now. Does my heart good to see it."

"But you still don't want to put the cart before the fambass." Edda added. "I know he's asked you to marry him but has he spoken to your father?"

"Not yet." Melaana bit her lip. "My parents still think... well they arranged the party last night..."

"Hmm" Edda's eyebrows knit and Melaana knew then she never wanted to be on that woman's bad side. "Well you have to remedy that as soon as possible. Speak to your parents and introduce them to Bremon. They won't be able to help but see that the two of you were meant to be together. "

"I hope so."

Bremon was smiling at her now. He and Saw had ended the song and he carried Steela back over to her parents. "Thank you for letting me hold her. She's a doll."

"Any time." Edda nodded.

"And come and play with me." Saw pouted.

Bremon tweeked the boy's ear and smiled again at Melaana and said, "we both will."

"Yes, I'd like that." She gave Saw a wink.

"And bring your flute?" Saw asked.

Melaana laughed. "Okay I'll bring by flute. Do you like when I play?"

The boy shrugged. "I just didn't want you to sing."

* * *

An hour later the couple found themselves again in their own clearing as they had come to think of it. The rupings were circled around them protectively as they liked to do, and Bremon was kissing her with enough passion to make her head swim. When he'd pulled back to breathe he asked her. "So what did you think of that little Steela?"

"She's a pretty little thing." Melaana sighed. "And I wouldn't mind having a one like that." She broached the subject carefully. "Some day..."

"Some day..." He kissed her again and then drew away again. "Still till we're ready it would be a good idea, like Edda said, to... set some limits. So we don't get ahead of ourselves."

Melaana nodded and tried to think. It was hard to think about anything after being kissed so thoroughly. "You think maybe... nothing below the belt until we can speak to my parents?"

It was a phrase she thought she might have heard in relation to some sort of martial arts competition and she'd said it half as a joke. But Bremon looked thoughtful. His hand which had been resting on her knee was removed very quickly. He was calculating the advisability of the plan and then he nodded. "Alright."

Before she could respond he was kissing her again and his hands were working on the ties of her blouse He pushed it off her shoulders and then leaned back and gazed at her.

She blushed at the intensity of his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Just getting a look at what's permissible, since I can't go below the belt I mean."

"Bremon!" she giggled nervously.

"You are beautiful." His lips found her throat while his hands explored the newly legalized territory.

"Bremon?" she breathed his name again.

"Hmm?"

"I think I should talk to my father sooner than later."

He chuckled sending a vibration across her skin. "Why's that?"

"Because Mother always says I'm terrible about testing my limits."


	20. hypothetical questions

Melaana takes the first opportunity to talk to her father about the situation.

* * *

"Daddy." Melaana Rash flounced into her father's office, around his desk, and bent to kiss his cheek.

He smiled indulgently. She didn't generally call him 'Daddy' unless she wanted something or unless she really wanted not to have to do something anymore. He figured it was this silly business with the piloting lessons. Granted this time around had lasted longer than the other failed attempt with the Pantoran instructor. She had seemed to honestly want to put in the effort, but her flighty personality was bound to win out eventually.

"What is it, my favorite girl?"

She skipped back around to the other side of his desk and sat in one of the big chairs reserved for his business associates. She curled into it, pulling her legs underneath her to get comfortable, perhaps for a longer conversation than normal. "Daddy, I wanted to ask you a question, a hypothetical question."

"Well I shall try to give you my most hypothetical answer." He laid aside the datapad he had been reading to give her his full attention.

"Hypothetically," She began carefully wording the query. "If there were a male Kira heir who was of marriageable age and if he was to propose, hypothetically of course, to an heiress from lets say the Rash family, that would actually be a more advantageous match for the Rash family than if their daughter were to marry into the Bonteri family. Isn't that so?"

The Rash patriarch nodded slowly. "Yes. I must admit the name Kira has been held in high esteem among all of the families for hundreds of years. If, hypothetically as you say, there were such a person, an alliance between those two families would be profitable to all those involved. Except for the Bonteri family to whom the Rash heiress has already been promised."

Melaana nodded, biting her lip. "But what if, and I'm still being entirely hypothetical, what if there were another option for the Bonteri family. What if there were, just say, the daughter of a Baron who was of marriageable age? Wouldn't she be an acceptable candidate as a match for the Bonteri heir? hypothetically?"

"Melaana." Her father folded his hands on the surface of his desk and leaned forward toward her. "Is there such a person as this Kira heir?"

She started to say something else and then thought it best just to answer his question simply. "Yes, Daddy."

He sighed. He did not like to dash the hopes of his only daughter. "Your mother and I have already made an agreement with the Bonteri family. You and Dane seem to get along fine. I am sure the two of you will have a very successful marriage."

"But, Daddy he doesn't love me. He told me as much. He loves Mina."

"And you love this... What was his name again?"

"Bremon Kira." There was a determined bite to her voice when she said it. She had already decided if they wouldn't allow her to marry him she was going to call in that rescue that he had once promised her.

"My dear girl," He scooted back his chair from the desk and held out his arms to her.

She was really to old to curl up in her father's lap anymore but she went to him anyway.

He gathered her in his arms. "While it may be the case that you do not each love another now, I am afraid that, barring some infraction of the agreement on the part of the lieutenant, we can not without a considerable scandal bow out of it."

She didn't mean to say it. She had said she wouldn't but she was so angry at the situation that the words just burst out. "An infraction like the fact that Senator Skelari is carrying his child?"

"What did you say?" her father asked, pushing her back to arms length to look her in the eye and almost unseating her from his lap.

"Well I..." She stumbled up to stand and whirled away from him, cursing under her breath at her disastrous slip. "I promised I wouldn't tell."

"Well now you have and this... changes everything. If your betrothed has fathered a child..."

She spun back to face her father, worried. "You're not going to make things difficult for him and for Mina, are you? Because, that's not what I want at all. I want them to be happy together and I want to be free to marry Bremon because he asked me and... I love him."

Her father rose from his chair, paced back and forth across the room twice and then looked back at her. "Melaana, I could try to resolve this quietly but I can not guarantee that an indiscretion of this nature would not ruin the reputations of both the Lieutenant and the Senator, and if your name was dragged into it... Are you absolutely sure that you know this information to be true?"

"I..." The last thing she wanted was to hurt Dane and Mina. "No, Daddy. It was only a hypothetical question."

The patriarch took her by the shoulders. "If there is something to this it will come out eventually. It is better for you to stay out of it altogether. We won't say anything more about it for now, alright?"

"Yes, Daddy."

He went to back to sit at his desk and she turned to leave the room but he stopped her. "Melaana?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"This Kira boy, you love him?"

"I do." She smiled.

"And he loves you, he takes care of you, and makes you happy?"

"He does, Daddy."

Her father nodded and looked down at his data pad. It was a sign that he was getting back to work and she could go. But he said one more thing as she walked out the door and she almost wasn't sure she heard correctly, "You have my blessing."

* * *

Melaana set the cloudhopper down in the clearing but she didn't even have to put her feet on the ground. Bremon brought Frayl close enough that she could just climb from the cockpit right onto the creature's back.

"Where's Princess today?" she asked as she settled into the saddle in front of him, not minding at all the way his arms automatically circled her.

He handed her the reigns and worked with her hair while he answered. "Our little Princess has been getting close to her time."

"Her time?" Melaana asked and then blushed, "Oh! It's her first laying?"

"Yes." He finished with her hair and wrapped his arms around her again letting her continue to lead the ruping. "We showed her 'round to all the males close by and she turned her nose up at all of them. We think she's found a mate further out in one of the wild pods."

"Sounds like somebody I know." She smiled and leaned back closer to her own chosen mate. "But she will come back to lay her eggs and hatch them?"

"We can't be sure she might just decide to join her mate's pod." He chuckled. "If she can get them all to obey her like she did with the pod here."

"Hmm... I'll miss her but I don't blame her for wanting to go out on her own."

"Don't you?" he asked. "Leaving her family, risking their anger and sadness, to pursue her own happiness?"

"Are you trying to talk me out of it?" She looked back over her shoulder at him.

He kissed her. "Did you talk to your father?"

"I did." She looked forward again and sighed. "He said that if I expose Dane and Mina to be let out of the engagement that I could ruin them both."

"They've done it to themselves." He pointed out.

"Well, yes, but... they should reveal it themselves, also. It shouldn't be me shaming them."

"Then we'll wait." He sighed and sat back to put a little distance between them. "Until everything comes out in the open and you're free to do as you please."

"Well no, I don't think... Father said something else. I told him about you, that I love you, and you love me and that you... take care of me, make me happy. He... he gave us his blessing."

He turned her to face him, as much as he could on the back of a flying ruping. "Are you serious?"

She smiled and nodded and he kissed her again.

"What did your uncle say, when you told him?"

Bremon laughed. "He said he'd perform the ceremony of course, but he said it would be best to do it in the next couple of days."

"The next couple of days?" She grinned. "I like that much better than waiting! Did he say why?"

He sighed, "Something about the alignment of the planets and the proximity of the moons."

"Oh, I don't care why. Let's do it!"

"Really? Alright... We'll need a member of your family present for the ceremony..."

"Sanjay! Sanjay will do it! I know he will! He's been supportive of us all along!"

Bremon hugged her tightly. "We're going to do this. We're going to get married."

"I love you, Bremon."

"I love you too."


	21. chips

a short, imperfect interlude here since i haven't posted anything in so long. Fox was such a big focus in the last story and i've hardly mentioned him in this one. He attended Soniee's graduation but she couldn't really stop and talk to him. He's never forgotten her though and he's about to do something for her that she might never find out about but it's important to him.

* * *

For Commander Fox, walking into 79s now was tantamount to suicide. He remembered entering these doors months ago with Soniee on his arm. She had excused herself to use the fresher and then he had seen her again at the bar out of her padawan disguise and in that outfit he had almost been sure was just for his benefit. She had joked with him, he had kissed her, they had danced, and he had carried her back to Senator Amidala's apartment. And everything that had happened after that. She had almost been his, but he let her go...

Coming back here was hard enough with all the memories. It was compounded by the fact that no one in the 501st wanted anything to do with him. They all knew that he was the one who pulled the trigger, that he had taken down Fives. But that wasn't the only story about the event. There were rumors that Fives was trying to tell anyone who would listen about inhibitor chips that had been implanted into everyone of them back in their incubation tanks on Kamino. These chips, it was said, would cause a brother to follow any order to attack an officer, an ally, a friend...

Fox had been thinking about those rumors for months but after the trip to Mandalore, when he stepped off the transport back onto Coruscant, he had made a decision. He had to find out the truth. Walking into 79s now when it was full of Five's squad brothers was humiliating, dangerous even, but necessary. He made his way to the bar, amid grumbles and louder shouts, and sat next to the medic he knew was a friend of the dearly departed. "Kix, I need to talk to Captain Rex."

Kix wouldn't look him in the eye. "The Captain isn't going to want to talk to you."

"Is this scum bothering you?" Jesse and a few of the others gathered around menacingly.

Fox turned on his stool and faced them with his hands raised as if in surrender. "Look, I was just following orders. Fives was trying to say something about some kind of chips. I have to know if there's something like that in me that made me fire on him, if I was ordered to silence him."

They glared at him. He had to make them believe him. "There's a girl. She's not... my girl and she's not even... really a... Jedi..." His eyes pleaded with them. "I would never hurt her! If there's something in me that... I would never hurt her..." His voice faded to a whisper, "...or her child..."

They had all heard of Fox's Mando Girl and it was common knowledge that he had just returned from a mission to the neutral system on order from the Chancellor. Looks were exchanged between the troopers and after a tense silence, Kix nodded. "I'll talk to the Captain, tell him you'd like a word."

"That's all I ask," Fox sighed, rose from his stool, and the 501st troopers parted for him to leave the bar.

* * *

Captain Rex was an imposing figure even to the commander. He stood in full kit and helmet, arms folded over his chest, and jag eyes glaring accusingly.

Fox was pacing in his red fatigues, running his fingers agitatedly through his hair that he had let grow out far past regulation. He normally never let anyone see him out of uniform like this, well except for Soniee when they were together. But this was the state he was in when the Captain was available and willing to speak to him and he didn't want to waste time making himself presentable.

"I was just following orders..." he raved. Now that he had the audience he didn't quite know how to put his thoughts into words. He realized that what he had just said was also what Fives had said that night and he cringed. "He attacked the Chancellor, drew a weapon..."

"We're not here to talk about Fives or at least not to talk about how he died." Rex growled. "Get to the point."

Fox nodded and then tried to begin again. "There's talk, rumors about some kind of chips that we've got in our heads. They say that it was the chip that made trooper Tup go after that Jedi. I'll be honest. I don't have use for most of the Jedi. Your General's not bad and Commander Tano was alright. Glad she got cleared of the charges... But that doesn't mean I'd want to start killing any of them just because some thing in my head tells me to. And there's this girl. She's not a Jedi but she's got the Force. If I ever had to hurt her... I just... If there's something in me controlling me, I want it out." He finished in a firm whisper, just glad to have said what he meant to say.

He couldn't even look up at the Captain's t-shaped visor and as the silence stretched on he wasn't sure that the other clone had even listened to him. He was about to plead his case further when Rex finally spoke.

"Alright. I've had mine out already and I've been quietly sounding out who else might be interested."

Fox could hardly believe what he was hearing. "What? Really?"

Rex removed his helmet, rubbed a spot on his right temple, and looked sincerely at his brother. "After that night, after I had a chance to think about it, I could only believe that the reason Fives had to die was so that he wouldn't say what it was really all about. If one of us could be ordered to kill a Jedi why not a rogue brother. If you believe you were ordered to silence him, I'm inclined to agree with you. You weren't at Umbara but I was. I know what it's like to think you're doing your duty and then see what you've killed... wasn't an enemy."

Fox had heard the stories about Umbara, but he had never compared that situation to his own. It made more sense now. He breathed in relief that someone understood. Rex clapped him on the shoulder with a gloved hand.

"If someone gave me the order to kill Commander Tano..." Rex knew she wasn't a commander anymore but it was still obviously how he thought of her. "Even if I couldn't help but obey, I'd never forgive myself... It's how you feel about your girl, isn't it?"

Fox nodded, clenching his jaw. He mumbled, "Even if she loves somebody else."

"What's that got to do with it?" Rex asked almost as if he was offended by the comment.

"Nothin'," Fox said quickly. "Nothin' at all."

"Well, we'll get your chip out." Rex raised a hand and motioned forward a hovering droid that Fox hadn't noticed before. "No time like the present, right brother?"

Fox swallowed. "As you say..."


	22. the theater

i introduced Melaana Rash with a story of how she had once had a handsome Pantoran flight instructor. Well i have since then discovered that it wasn't just any handsome Pantoran and Soniee actually got to meet him back when she was on Coruscant before she came home to Mandalore and married Korkie. So this little story takes place during that month when she was waiting to hear from Korkie, when she spent her days listening to Senate meetings and her nights going out with Lux and their guard Commander Fox, before she had found her mother's journal or knew anything about it.

For chapter 16 of the Ashla Spectrum, Prince of Alderaan, i invented the Bard of Chandrila, basically the galaxy's answer to Shakespeare. The theater company in this chapter are the highest authority on preforming the Bard's plays.

* * *

Two complimentary tickets to a Republic Bard Company's production were a welcome surprise but Soniee had no idea who they had come from. She was really hoping they weren't from Palpatine. She didn't want to be indebted to that man anymore than she already was.

Lux escorted her up to the private box with their ever present guard hovering a couple of meters behind them. "You have no idea who could have given you the tickets?" he asked.

"None at all." She looked around at their surroundings at some of the richest carpets and wall decoration she had ever laid eyes on. She had thought that the RBC's productions were sold out for years to all but season ticket holders. Her answer was right around the last bend in the hallway waiting for them at the door to the box.

"Chairman Papanoida!" Soniee dropped into a curtsy and Lux after a second's hesitation also bowed to the grand Pantoran.

A smile graced his noble, blue face. "I'm so glad you could make it, Miss Ordo."

"It was you who sent the tickets?" she asked with a bit of a nervous quaver to her voice. She was a little star struck in his company.

"I did." He looked around at his daughters and son who didn't seem to find the situation at all amusing. "I heard about the part you played in your Academy's production of one of the Bard's works. I actually saw a bit of your performance in a holo someone recorded of the event." He added in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Oh well, it was only a school production." Soniee blushed modestly.

"Nonsense." He shook his head. "You delivered a magnificent portrayal of the Princess of Onderon." He dropped his voice low again. "And I should know I once met a real princess of Onderon."

Lux broke in. "Onderon doesn't have a princess. King Dendup doesn't have any children."

The Chairman looked as if he had just noticed the boy. "Yes. Well. I believe I heard that her brother was some sort of royalty so that made her something like a princess." He turned his attention back to Soniee. "You remind me very much of her." He seemed sad for a moment and then his smile returned. "The chemistry you had on stage with your leading man. It was the Kryze boy in the title role wasn't it, nephew of your dear departed Duchess?"

"H-he was..." Soniee began but Papanoida must have sensed her discomfort or else he just enjoyed bringing the conversation back to the topic of himself.

"I generally took the role of the Onderonian brother in that play."

"That was Amis in our production," She told him sadly.

Lux stepped forward protectively. "Miss Ordo's friend passed away recently," he explained.

"I'm sorry for your loss." The Chairman gave her a respectful bow and then looked up as the lights in the hall were dimmed and then brought back up to signal the imminent beginning of the program. "Well, I'll let the two of you get to your seats. I do hope you enjoy the show." He stepped aside so Soniee and Lux could get to the door of their box, while his family entered the door to their own box a few meters down the hall. "And please, join us backstage after the performance. I would be pleased to introduce you to the cast."

"I would like that." Soniee smiled. "Thank you, again, very much."

Lux led her to the door but just before she walked through she remembered and called back. "Commander, I think I'd feel safer if you waited just inside rather than outside of the door." She wanted Fox to get to enjoy the performance also.

"Yes, Ma'am." He replied simply and followed she and Lux into the box.

Once the three of them were relatively alone Fox thanked her and Lux asked. "What was that all about?"

Soniee had a silly grin on her face now that the direct confrontation was over with. "Notluwiski Papanoida complimented my performance!"

"And..." Lux led her continue.

"Didn't you know? He was a holostar before he went into politics. Momma was a huge fan, still is probably. We used to watch his holos together when I was little. Well it makes perfect sense now why he would have the tickets. He's a big supporter of the arts."

"He was in that holo we watched," Fox spoke up from the shadows at the back of the box.

"Oh you're right!" Soniee remembered.

Lux nodded with a disbelieving smirk. "And what about his meeting an Onderonian princess?"

Soniee shook her head "I don't know anything about that. Sounds like it might have been a bit of a scandal though. Did you see the looks on his children's faces when he said it?"

The show began then and they were all too interested in the story of the Twi'lek general and the human woman he fell in love with and the tragedy of how his lieutenant accused her of being unfaithful, prompting the general to kill her in a mad rage only to learn later of her innocence.

* * *

"Well that was... depressing." Lux commented even while he stood and clapped at the end of the play with everyone else in the auditorium.

"It was supposed to be." Soniee grinned, put two fingers in her mouth and whistled her appreciation of the cast, and then resumed clapping. "It's a tragedy." She looked back over her shoulder. "What did you think, Fox."

His helmeted head tilted to the side while he thought and then he answered. "I'm glad it wasn't you up there. I'm afraid I might have rushed up on stage to save you."

"Live theater can be very realistic, can't it?" she said quietly laying a hand on his arm.

"I'll say." Lux laughed. "Almost made me wish I was back on Onderon fighting a real war."

"I know you don't mean that." Soniee shoved him and they all made their way down to the after party back stage.

True to his word Papanoida introduced Soniee around to all of the cast members. The Twi'lek lead actually grabbed her by the shoulders in a fit of exuberance at their successful performance and kissed both her cheeks.

The Chairman laughed. "And if you did want to pursue your acting I would be more than happy to put in a word for you at the Chandrila Bardic Academy."

"Oh I don't really think I could make a career of the stage." Soniee blushed. "I do enjoy being part of the audience, though."

"Then we'll make sure you have a season ticket so see any show you like whenever your here in Galactic City." Papanoida took her hand and kissed it.

"That's very generous of you, Chairman."

"Anything for the princess of Onderon." He had been drinking and now he raised his empty glass, someone filled it, and motioned that the others should raise their glasses also to drink her health. Then finally he left her to speak to one of the other politicians who had been invited to the party.

"Sorry about my father." A younger Pantoran male sidled up next to her.

"Oh. It's alright. I just can't wait to tell my Momma. She's a huge fan." She smiled still not quite able to believe who she'd just been talking to.

He nodded and then extended a hand. "I'm Ion."

"It's very nice to meet you." She shook his proffered hand and then they both shyly turned to face the room.

"I feel like I owe you an apology," he said and when she glanced his way she saw he was frowning.

"Whatever for?" She asked.

"My father told you about someone he had met, someone you reminded him of, a princess of Onderon."

"Yes?"

"Meeting her... almost tore apart my family. I was very young. My younger sister had just been born. I'm not even sure why he was on Onderon, researching a role for one of his holos I believe. Anyway, he sent back word that he had met someone, had fallen in love, and he was going to leave my mother."

"That's terrible!" she exclaimed.

He nodded. "It was a very hard time." Then he shrugged. "He saw the light eventually, came home, was a more loving and attentive husband and father then he'd ever been before. But I confess I've always, however unfairly, had a rather low opinion of Onderonian girls, thought they were all... Well, the word in Pantoran isn't acceptable in polite company."

She giggled nervously and then smiled at his honesty. "I understand, although, you can't really judge me by anyone from Onderon or judge them by me for that matter." She also shrugged. "I've never been there. I've always been told that's where my birth mother was from but I was adopted by Mandalorians. I grew up on Concord Dawn."

Ion let out a breath with a laugh. "Well then, I've most definitely judged you unfairly. Please forgive me."

"Of course, if it makes you feel better."

"The truth is," He went on now that he'd gotten that off his chest. "if this princess my father met was anything like you, I hardly blame him."

They both stopped and Soniee blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry." He stammered. "I - I know you're seeing someone."

"Well, Lux and I..." she began, catching sight of her 'date' across the room.

He interrupted her. "Not the senator. You'll forgive me again but you're not that good of an actress. Don't worry," raised a hand to ward of her response. "I think you have everyone else fooled. The young man in the play, am I right?" he lowered his voice as he asked the question.

"I - I..."

"You don't have to answer. I just... I grew up around actors. I've known some very good ones and some others that were not so good. When you were on stage with your _prince_ , I think that was the real you. And I just wanted to say that... I hope you can get back together with him."

Soniee looked down at her shoes and all she could say was, "Thank you."

"If you are unable to do that." Ion went on with a shy smile in his voice. "You could always come and visit me on Pantora."

She also smiled and looked up at him. "I'll keep it in mind."

* * *

maybe i should get around to writing Melaana's version of what really happened during her first flight lessons...


	23. cuun'yaim

back to the contemporary story of Soniee and Korkie and they meet some new friends borrowed from Republic Commando.

* * *

Settling into life in Enceri was like playing house for the young newlyweds. They found a small apartment. Small being the operative word since living area, kitchen, refresher, and bedroom all together were smaller than Korkie's room in the palace in Sundari. And nothing at the Academy had prepared them for making a living and supporting themselves on the frontier of the wilds of _Manda'yaim_.

It was a little easier for Soniee who had at least spent her early years with Momma living over the garage in a small town on Concord Dawn. She was able to find work in a machine shop that did work on everything from droids to speeders to holoscreens. The owner and operator, Parja Bralor, wasn't much older than Soniee herself but she needed the help since she was often visiting her boyfriend who had recently been in an accident and suffered a bad head injury. It was Doctor Gilamar who had made the introductions, after he had given Soniee and the baby a clean bill of health. He and Parja's aunt had both been _Cuy'val dar_ just like Fenn Rau and trained clone cadets for the Republic Army.

Parja was under strict orders not to let Soniee do any of the heavy lifting in the shop and Korkie had insisted that she work with the environmental filters on her _buy'ce_ taking any toxins and fumes out of the air she was breathing for herself and the baby, but at least Soniee was able to get her hands dirty and keep busy.

Korkie had also found a job. As it turned out with all of his oration experience from the academy, he was a perfect salesman. Soniee would have never imagined the Duchess's nephew (much less her son) working behind the counter at a shop. She was quite proud of her husband debating with customers about the price of dry goods and textiles and tools.

They were close to the apartment where Lagos and baby Tracen were staying and to both work places. Bo-Katan had even showed up to check on them once. But Momma had yet to come and visit. She was still bogged down in the garage with Protector and domestic jobs. She had said she would come soon, though, and she sent Fenn ahead of her with a present that he had to borrow the B-7 to collect from Concord Dawn.

Soniee was working in Parja's shop on the afternoon that he arrived back with it.

"That's your ship, isn't it?" The other girl mechanic pointed out the window to the descending craft.

"Yeah, that's it." Soniee smiled. "I wonder what Ordo'buir could have sent that she would have needed a freighter to deliver it."

"Let's go and see." Parja grinned at her. It was nice to have a friend, someone nearly her own age who also enjoyed fixing things.

Soniee washed the grease of her hands and wished that Momma could have arrived with the present, whatever it was. Then together they walked out toward the landing platform. Korkie met them coming from the general store and immediately asked how Soniee was doing.

"I'm fine." she rolled her eyes and Parja grinned. "Don't you laugh?" Soniee told her. "Fi will be just as bad when it's your turn."

Parja knew it was true. Her young man was just as protective of her as she was of him.

They watched the B-7 complete its decent to the landing pad.

"What do you reckon it will be, Love, nursery furniture?" Korkie suggested wrapping his arms around his wife and kissing her cheek.

"She didn't say it was a baby gift." Soniee reminded him. "She just said something about the clan Ordo legacy."

As soon as the hatch was open and Fenn Rau exited, Soniee ran up to meet him. He had become her step father in all but name and she hugged him in greeting. "How's Momma?"

"She's fine. She misses you and she worries."

"I know. I wish she wouldn't. Doctor Gilamar said everything is fine."

He smiled at her and patted her shoulder. "She's a buir. It's what she does. I'm sure you'll find that out soon enough. So, would you like to see what she sent you?"

Soniee nodded and he turned her to face the freighter's loading ramp as Parja and Korkie joined them. Fenn tapped out some sort of code on his gauntlet controller and two large iron legs, followed by four more smaller legs, began to walk down the ramp. The body connected to them was massive.

"Is that what I think it is?" Parja asked.

"I've never seen one activated before." Korkie stared wide eyed.

Soniee just shook her head. "That's a Basilisk!"

"That it is and just wait." He tapped another button and a second iron monster descended the ramp behind the first.

"They couldn't be the original Ordo _Bes'uliik_ that belonged to the Mand'alor Canderous." Parja looked as if she was as eager to get her hands on one of the things as Soniee was.

Fenn shook his head. "No not the originals but based on the same designs. Family secret I'm told."

Soniee's hand went absently to her stomach. It wasn't so large that it would give away her condition to anyone who hadn't been told. She frowned with preemptive disappointment, "She's not going to want me to go anywhere near them, is she?"

"Your mother?" Fenn's brow creased thoughtfully. "Well she did say that you couldn't take one into battle but if Mij freed you up for normal activity..."

"Oh, thank you!" Soniee hugged him quickly, then ran with almost inhuman speed and hopped up into the piloting rig of the first Basilisk before Korkie could stop her. "I have always wanted to try one of these things."

The controls were confusing at first glance but she had read up on the legendary war droids and gradually the design made itself clear to her. There was a sort of symbiosis required between the droid brain and the rider which suited her well. She had always wished she could 'talk' to the ships she flew and now she really could.

Korkie called up to her from the ground. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Better than alright! This thing is amazing! You really have to try the other one!" She was excited for her husband to share in the fun but she knew he wasn't as adept with mechanics as she was.

"Maybe you can show me later. Just uh be careful, alright?"

She smiled down at him. "I will." Soniee picked up the headset that had the markings of her Momma's personal touches. It may have been from an old blueprint but Veeka Ordo had surely added a few tricks of her own. Maybe it was the emotions from the pregnancy but suddenly Soniee was overcome with tears of homesickness.

Korkie heard her sob and scrambled as quickly as he could up to where she sat in the pilot's rig. "What's the matter, Love. Are you hurt?"

"No, I - I'm not hurt." She set down the headset and wiped her eyes. "I just miss Momma."

Korkie helped her out of the vehicle and back down to the ground. "You sense something don't you?" He asked her, holding her close.

Soniee looked up and around for Fenn. "What's happening on Concord Dawn?" Her hand had gone to the crystal as it often did when she was trying to see beyond her normal surroundings.

Fenn answered her warily as if there was something else Momma was trying to protect her from. "Just before I left there were several other craft that arrived on the planet. They were off loading mining equipment. It looked like they had brought in the rigs from the Beskar mines on Concordia."

Parja joined them, interested in news. "Mining equipment?"

Korkie shook his head. "But there's no Beskar on Concord Dawn, is there? Have new deposits been found?"

Soniee shut her eyes tight and held on to her crystal even tighter. "It's not Beskar they're mining." Then she opened her eyes and held out the pendant on her palm. "Maul's trying to get at these."

Parja's eyes were wide with shock. "That equipment isn't made for getting at anything as fragile as crystals! Beskar is some of the hardest stuff in the galaxy! What are they playing at?"

"Well nobody's told Maul that." Fenn frowned.

"Somebody needs to tell him!" Soniee pushed away from Korkie and ran toward the still open hatch of the B-7. She had to get to the comm system she had to contact Maul or Almec or someone before they started to...

The others watched as Soniee suddenly trembled as if she was experiencing a quake that none of the rest of them could feel. Korkie and Fenn were hurried to her side.

" _Dar'yaim,_ " she said weakly.

"What happened?" Korkie asked.

Fenn's comm pinged and he stepped away to answer but they could all hear the message in bits and pieces.

"...explosion like nothing I've ever seen."

"You're in orbit above it?" Fenn asked.

"That's right but holding position with this kind of gravity anomaly isn't easy. It's - it's like half the planet is just gone!" And then the protector on the other end of the comm transmitted an image the real time condition of the planet, Concord Dawn. Dust and debris were still flying outward from the initiation of the blast and the image shook sometimes violently as the ship it was recorded from was slammed with the shrapnel. Then some of the view cleared and there they could see that nearly the entire southern hemisphere of the planet had been blown away.

Soniee knew then that what she had already felt must be true. Babuir was gone. Momma was gone. She screamed and would have collapsed to the ground if Korkie wasn't already beside her holding her tightly.

Fenn hurried away, not wanting her to see anymore of the coverage of the event to compound what she was already sensing through the Force. But he yelled back as he went, "Get that necklace off of her! It's not helping!"

Korkie carefully lifted the pendant and chain from around Soniee's neck. It lessened the clarity of the explosion a bit but the feelings of losing her family were still as sharp as ever.

Wracked by grief, she was unable to speak. She had sensed it all in an instant. Momma and Babuir never had a chance! Maul had wanted the crystals. He was in a hurry. He had to leave the system. He had a job to do somewhere else for his master. He wanted the crystals first or he was trying to get to them before his master could. He used the beskar mining equipment and tried to rush it along with the Force but... there was a vein of kyberite that ran deep. It shattered! Everything was gone!

She didn't know how she knew all this and knowing didn't help the fact that she was now an orphan again. The one thought she was clinging to was the idea that Maul was leaving the system. She prayed, begged, pleaded to the Force or Manda or whatever she could think of that he would never come back. If he ever did she wouldn't be responsible for what she would do to him.


	24. mirjahaal

The title is the Mando'a word for healing after grief. We could all use a little of that after the news of Carrie Fisher's death yesterday. The Mando'a phrase "Ni partayli, gar darasuum" has also been on my mind a lot in the last couple of days. It means "I remember you, so you are eternal."  
This one is dedicated to Carrie.

* * *

For days Soniee didn't utter a word. She barely slept and only ate when Mij got it through to her that the baby needed nourishment. Korkie was nearly out of his mind with worry. He took a couple of days off from work to be with her but with her unable to work and bills coming in someone had to earn the credits to keep them afloat. That and it was almost physically painful for him to see her like that, so detached and broken.

Still he hated leaving her alone and came back often as he could to check on her. The others also promised to look in on her and neighbors and friends brought food and wishes of _iviin'yc mirjahaal,_ quick healing from grief. She only ate it when she was reminded and spent the rest of the time sitting in a rocking chair that they had brought with them when they made the move from Concord Dawn.

"I don't understand." Korkie confessed wearily to Mij Gilamar a week after the event, when the doctor had come to check on her. Physically there was nothing wrong with her or the baby which was a relief but still her mind seemed to be locked away, at least from her husband. "I don't know what to do for her. I lost my mother a year ago and I didn't... She's... I just wish there were something I could do."

"You have to understand that she didn't just loose her mother." Mij patted the younger man's shoulder compassionately. "She lost most of her planet and she felt it through the Force when it happened. I don't pretend to know anything about the way that _jetiise osik_ works. She seems to either have distanced herself so far from it that everything else is pushed out as well, or delved into it so deeply that we can't reach her there. I have an associate I can ask if there's any other way we can help her, but from my own experience I believe all we can do is wait it out."

It wasn't exactly encouraging. Korkie hoped this associate of the doctor's would have more advice.

And then the night came when Korkie woke with a start to find his wife gone from the bed beside him. It didn't take him long to search the small apartment and find the front door open. He hurried out to the landing platform where the two _Bes'uliik_ war droids had been left standing since they received the news. Only one of them was not standing now. It seemed to be pacing, heavy feet wearing a trench into the soft ground as it lumbered back and forth.

Others had gathered watching the spectacle but Korkie only had eyes for the pilot. He ran heedless of his own safety toward the beast and rider, and whether he was fueled by some latent Force ability or just adrenalin, bounded up to the pilot's rig.

She was saying something but he couldn't understand what it was. He cursed his own weak grasp of Mando'a. But her accent was also strong with the Concordian dialect.

She didn't object when he lifted off the headset and the beast shuddered to a halt. The words continued to pour from her in an unbroken cadence. She didn't look at him, didn't even seem to register his presence until he noticed that she was once again wearing the crystal around her neck and he started to remove the chain. Her hand covered his and squeezed to communicate her desire to keep it.

"Alright, I won't take it, if you don't want me to." He whispered.

She didn't answer him. The stream of words still continued without pause.

Korkie wasn't sure afterward who exactly had helped him get Soniee down from her perch and safely back into the apartment. She rocked in the chair in rhythm to her speech and he knelt next to her holding her hand.

"I've commed Doctor Gilamar." Parja reassured him after she and Lagos had thanked the neighbors for their help and shooed them away now that things were more under control. "He was seeing to Fi but he'll be here as soon as he can."

"What's she saying?" Lagos asked. She had left Tracen in the care of one of the neighbors and now knelt down on Soniee's other side.

"If it's Concordian, Fenn Rau will know. He's on his way as well." Parja told them.

They all, apart from Soniee, jumped when the Protector knocked at the door and then came in without waiting. "Is she alright?" He asked, removing his helmet and setting aside his own grief for the worry over his almost-daughter. "How long has she been like this?"

Korkie gave Fenn a quick summation of the events and then asked, "Do you know what she's saying?"

Rau nodded. "It's an old poem, the epic of Veela Ordo."

"Veela Ordo?" Korkie appeared not to recognize the name other than its similarity to Soniee's Momma's name, but both of the girls said, "Oh."

"What? Who is Veela Ordo?"

Fenn was quiet a moment, listening to the continued recitation. They all could pick out a few of the words. They weren't very pleasant, even in Soniee's measured tone, it sounded as if she was damning someone or other to Haran.

He sighed and than he started to explain. "Veela was the wife of the leader of Clan Ordo ages ago. Her husband left to go on some sort of adventures with a Jedi named Revan. Not all that out of the ordinary for a _Mando'ad_ to go off as a mercenary or bounty hunter, but she felt that it wasn't Canderous's battle to fight, that he should have stayed and saw to his obligations with his people. The clans were in disarray at the time. _Mand'alor_ 's mask had been stolen and presumably hidden away by some _aruetii_." He paused listening again and then continued, seeming to translate directly. "She curses the Jedi and the Sith and Revan and her husband and then she says, 'I am all that's left. I will lead Clan Ordo. I will bring the Clans together. I will find the mask. I will be Mand'alor, for I am the last...'"

They all sat quietly and listened for some time until the doctor finally arrived. He looked her over and gave her a sedative so she could rest. The others all looked at him expectantly when he closed the bedroom door quietly behind himself and rejoined them. "Physically she's fine."

"And the..." Korkie started to ask.

Mij lifted a hand and nodded. "And the baby is fine as well. I do think that she shouldn't be left alone. She should have someone with her at all times to make sure that she doesn't..."

"I was with her." Korkie rose and paced angrily. "She slipped out while I was sleeping."

"It wasn't your fault." Lagos said kindly and then offered. "I'll bring Tracen over and we can sit with her during the day."

"But what if it happens again, at night?" Korkie worried, still taking the majority of the blame on his own shoulders.

"I'll stay here on the couch." Fenn suggested. "An extra line of defense."

Even with their help, Korkie knew he wouldn't get any rest. He must have somehow fallen asleep however. When he woke and looked at the chrono he saw that they had let him sleep in. Soniee was still under the effect of the medication beside him.

"Come back to me." He whispered before he rose to get dressed. "I need you." He placed his hand on her stomach. "We both need you."

Lagos was rocking Tracen in the outer room when he exited and they shared a hopeful smile.

"She's still sleeping." He told her.

And she assured him, "If anything changes, I'll comm you right away."

He nodded and went off to the store. He fielded more questions about Soniee's condition than about the merchandise he was selling and he kept his comm link close waiting for word. Back at home again he was encouraged to see Soniee sitting up at the table having something to eat but she didn't respond when he rushed to her side and kissed her cheek.

Lagos shook her head at his silent question. "Still no change."

He wanted to cry or rage or shake her but instead he bit the inside of his cheek till he tasted blood. "Thank you for... staying with her."

"I'm sure she'll be better soon." Lagos said not quite convincingly while she packed she and Tracen's things to head back to her own apartment. "I'll be back in the morning."

Two more days passed in similar fashion. Then one afternoon while Korkie was at the store, Parja dropped by to see Soniee and give Lagos some relief. They had gotten into the bad habit speaking about their friend as if she wasn't in the room. She didn't seem to hear what they said, at least she had yet to respond.

"And having Trace here doesn't seem to have any effect on her?" Parja asked.

Lagos shrugged. "Not a bit. I've tried putting him in her arms while she's sitting in the rocking chair and she's aware enough not to drop him but he spit up on her three times and she doesn't even flinch."

"She's going to need to snap out of it before her little one arrives."

"Yeah. Korkie's good with kids but he's not going to be able to take care of it on his own."

"He." The word, not much more than a horse croak startled them both. They both turned to stare at Soniee.

"He." She said again blinking her eyes and turning to focus on her friends for the first time in almost two weeks. "Don't call him, 'it'. His name is Oron."

Lagos gave a cry of happiness and relief and Parja jumped up and ran to the door. "I'll go get Korkie," she said, forgoing the comm link.

Soniee closed her eyes tightly and when she opened them again she looked much more like her old self, sad and tired but finally alert to her surroundings. "I'm sorry. I've..."

"Don't worry about a thing." Lagos gave her a one armed hug with Tracen clutched in the other. "Korkie will be here soon and he'll just... he'll be so happy!"

He burst into the room, looked around and when he saw his wife, hurried to her side. "Soniee, Love, She said you were..." He saw for himself. "You came back to me." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I'm sorry, Korkie. I..."

"Shhh... Everything is fine now. Manda, I missed you."

Parja arrived behind him and she and Lagos silently made their exit.

Whether they heard the door shut behind their friends or didn't care Korkie and Soniee kissed like they had been apart for an age.

"They said, you said it's a - he's a - a boy! We're going to have a son?" Korkie asked her, breathless.

Soniee nodded. "I - I thought Oron, sort of after Momma's clan and sort of after my- my father."

"From the letters in the journal." Korkie remembered the name Bremon, one of the few words written in Basic from in the book. He thought about the name. "Oron Kryze. I like it!"

She smiled. The expression felt foreign but it made Korkie want to kiss her again.

"Do... do you think Momma would have liked it?" Soniee asked.

"She would have loved it." Korkie told her. "And - and she'd be happy to know that - that you're back to yourself again, that you're not..." He drew her close again. "Manda, I thought I had lost you. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Korkie, I - I wanted to die. It was all my fault. If I hadn't... if Maul hadn't seen my crystal." She reached up to her throat making sure that the chain was still around her neck.

He took her chin in his hand and force her to look him in the eye. "It was not your fault. It was that..." he went into a string of curses in Mando'a and Hutteese that reminded Soniee of the way her Momma would sometimes loose it when she was angry. She couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

"Korkie, I want to feel alive again." She could see in his eyes that he wanted her too but he stuttered.

"Well, I - I don't know. Maybe we should wait until Doctor Gilamar can see you again and make sure that you're well enough for..."

"I think I can tell what I'm well enough for." Soniee blushed and then with a naughty glint in her eyes she pushed her husband toward their bedroom.

He might have tried to go slow and careful but she was having none of that. She gave him a harder shove onto the bed and held him there with the Force. She was in control and he didn't mind one bit. He watched her while she undressed them both and admired the way the angles of her body were rounding into curves with his child, his son, growing inside of her.

"You really are beautiful." He told her. "I think maybe I should keep you knocked up if it's going to have this effect on you."

"Then we had better enjoy this now before we have lots of little distractions running around."


	25. wedding

the cutest couple on Onderon are getting married!

* * *

It was cramped in the little two seater cloud hopper with her brother but Sanjay didn't complain. He didn't seem particularly thrilled with the idea of flying with his sister. Still, it was preferable to the other option she gave him. That was riding in on the back of a dalgos with Shara. Melaana knew her brother loved the girl but he wasn't about to give in to beast riding himself because of it.

Anyway he was here for Melaana today. Today was her wedding day and he was the designated Rash family representative. She still wished that the whole family would be as supportive but she did have her father's blessing and mother would come around eventually, she hoped.

She set down in the clearing where she usually met Bremon but her husband-to-be was no where in sight. Instead Edda and Shara were waiting for her with the wagon and fambass that had taken them to the Fete. Baby Steela was nestled in a cozy bed of blankets in the wagon, sleeping peacefully.

Melaana introduced her brother to the Gerrera ladies, mother and infant, but he seemed to cheer considerably when he saw his girl.

Shara ran to him, "Finally got you out here in the jungle."

"Yes, well," He smiled. "Anything for this sister of mine."

Edda had a surprise for Melaana. "It was my wedding dress and my mother's. May not be as fine as some of the things your seamstresses in town could whip up for you but it's a tradition to wear something passed down rather than something new. I just hope it fits."

"It's beautiful!" Melaana gushed.

"Now if we can get Shara to keep your brother busy for a bit..."

But that was already taken care of. The fruit merchant's daughter had led Sanjay away for a little privacy.

Edda helped Melaana to dress and while she did she fell into a song as she often did. Bremon had done Melaana's hair the day before and though a few strands had come loose, they now curled prettily around her face. The dress was a forgiving style that draped loosely so fit wasn't really a problem, but it still showed off her figure nicely without the need of an uncomfortable corset sucking the life out of her.

"There you go." Edda gave her another look over. "I can't wait to see Brem's face when he sees you."

Melaana grinned. "I can't wait to see him either."

"Come on then, you into the wagon. Be careful not to catch your skirt and you can look out for Steela for me." Once the bride was settled Edda turned, cupped her hands around her mouth and gave a call as she would to gather a heard of dalgos. Shara came instead, dragging Sanjay along behind her by the hand. The grin on his face made him look like he would follow her anywhere.

* * *

Meanwhile a couple of klicks to the west Bremon was pacing before the stone edifice that marked the entrance to his uncle's subterranean domain. Frayl gave a reassuring bleat and nudged him. "Yeah I know she's on her way, boy. Why don't you fly up and watch for her, eh?"

The ruping wasted no time springing from the ground and taking flight to circle the area. Saw was distracted from his drawing in the dirt with a stick to look up and smile at the beast. Geb Gerrera however maintained his stance, arms crossed over his chest, keeping a stern watch over the proceedings.

Naidon Kira relaxed visibly now that the reptavian was no longer staring him down. "When the women arrive we will descend into the chamber for the..."

"No, Uncle Nadd." Bremon outright refused. "We can have the ceremony right here. I'm not marrying her down in that tunnel. She likes the open air better and so do I."

The old man grumbled but then regained his composure. He closed his eyes with his hand outstretched as if he was trying to feel some sort of vibrations in the air. "Well it's not ideal. It would be much more appropriate for you to exchange your vows closer to..."

"Leave the boy alone, Kira." Geb rumbled softly but with an underlying power.

Nadd's eyes shot open and he gave the big dark-skinned man a careful glance before he turned back to his nephew. "But of course you will take her to Dxun for your..."

"If she wants to go to the moon for our wedding night that will be her choice. I'm not going to force her to fulfill one of your mad schemes." Bremon renewed his pacing. He just wanted to marry the girl he loved. Right now he almost envied her not getting her family involved. Her brother would be here though. They had never met but Shara spoke highly of him and Melaana was assured of his loyalty.

Just then Frayl trumpeted and they heard Edda's answering call from the ground. They may still be a ways off but they were getting nearer. Geb gave the groom a reassuring smile and Bremon nodded nervously in return.

Ten standard minutes later it was Saw who jumped up from the ground and pointed down the pathway to where dust was rising from the footsteps of a large beast. "They're coming!"

Uncle Nadd clapped his hands together, then took his nephew by the shoulders, and led him to where he was to stand on the steps before the stone archway. Bremon couldn't help but peer in the direction of the path waiting for a glimpse of his bride.

Edda brought the wagon to a stop and stepped down from the seat. She went around, picked up Steela from the back and went to stand next to her husband and son.

Sanjay reached up to give his sister a hand as she climbed out of the wagon as well. Shara fussed about her dress once Melaana had both feet on the ground, then kissed her friend's cheek, and ran over to stand beside the Gerreras.

"Are you ready for this?" Sanjay asked his sister in a whisper as he took her hand over his arm to escort her.

"I've never been more ready for anything." She grinned. They turned to face the others and she saw Bremon waiting for her.

Nothing else mattered after that. She wouldn't remember the words she repeated or how the guests smiled and cheered. Bremon was her whole world and he loved her!

* * *

She was finally alone with him in the cockpit of the Ruping Queen. He had stayed in the co-pilot's seat staring at her until they lifted off and made orbit. Now he was standing behind her seat bent over and kissing her neck.

Her voice was breathless. "Please, you need to let me concentrate on flying, _My Love_." She used the Onderonian words for My Love which had a much more physical connotation than the Basic translation. She had heard Edda speak the term to Geb when they thought no one was listening but she had also heard it used to refer to the mating pairs of creatures that Bremon looked after, especially when the female was in heat. Her husband practically purred in her ear when Melaana said the word to him. It didn't make him stop kissing her. "Why don't you go and take a look at our ship?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" He chuckled.

"Only for a little while so I can get us safely landed. You make me nervous looking over my shoulder."

He gave a disappointed sigh. "Alright. But as soon as we've landed..." He left the sentence hanging as he left the cockpit.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for just a moment. Then she got back down to business. She didn't doubt her skills as a pilot but flying this ship without her instructor and with her husband distracting her was a different story. Her husband! She grinned as she checked the coordinates that Uncle Nadd had given them for the landing site on Dxun.

Bremon had not seemed thrilled at all when his uncle suggested that the spend their wedding night on the demon moon but Melaana had tactfully given in. She explained to her husband that she had never been to the moon before even though she had flown around it. And, she hoped, that if they gave in to Naidon Kira this once, that he would lay off them for a while.

"Hey," Bremon poked his head back in to the cockpit and broke her train of thought. "You do realize there's a bed in the cabin?" He caught her gaze in the reflection of the view screen and waggled his eyebrows at her.

"I know. I've never slept in it." She answered with a smile.

He grinned. "I wasn't exactly thinking of sleeping quite yet."

She blushed. "Come and strap yourself in I'm about to land."

Bremon obeyed. "Aye Captain."

Melaana giggled and set the path of their descent. She could feel it as soon as they entered the moon's atmosphere, the cold and air of menace he'd described to her from his previous visit. She glanced over but he seemed this time only to have eyes for her. She was glad. She didn't want the start of their marriage to be uncomfortable for him. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until the touched down and she let it out.

"A beautiful landing." Bremon said softly as he unfastened his restraint and rose from his seat, moving toward her.

Now that the moment had come her heart was hammering. "Thank you." She looked down trying to focus on removing her own belts, but her trembling hands made the job difficult.

Her husband's hands covered hers and then he had pulled her up to stand and he was kissing her and then clothes were being shed as they made their way down the length of the corridor to the cabin and he lay her down on the bed. "I love you, Melaana, and I always will."

"And I love you, Brem, forever and ever, no mater what."

It made no difference where they were. They were together and as long as they were together, there could be nothing wrong in the entire galaxy.


	26. honeymoon is over

Melaana is not as happy as she should be. Until her betrothed decides to break their engagement, she's stuck pretending.

* * *

"We'll be together again soon, I promise." Bremon was trying to hold it together as much as she was.

Melaana wasn't doing nearly as good a job of it. Her chin trembled and her eyes welled and she was seriously reconsidering the idea of going back home to her parents as if nothing at all had happened. "I guess..." she sniffed and then tried to start over again. "I guess Dane should be sending me a comm soon. Maybe there will already be one waiting for me when I get back. Once the news gets out about he and Mina then... then it won't matter about you and I. We - we'll be able to tell everyone."

"That's right." He smiled bravely and brushed away her tears. "It won't be long." Then he drew her close and kissed her again making the most of the time they had while they were waiting for Sanjay and Shara to show up.

Melaana had set the Ruping Queen down in their usual clearing and the two of them were standing in the hatchway. She had been told by her brother that he would have thought of a brilliant alibi for why she had been gone for another three day stretch. It would have something to do with how distraught she was over Dane's departure. Perhaps she had gone to stay with a friend who she had met at the Summer Fete. Shara had seemed willing to help with the deception when they had last spoken.

They didn't have nearly long enough to wait till Shara and Sanjay came striding up the path hand in hand and chatting amiably. Shara waved to the other couple.

Melaana called out to them as they approached, "Don't tell me you managed to keep my brother out here in the wild for three whole days?"

Shara laughed and wiped a bit of juice from his chin with a handkerchief. "I bribed him with Meilooruns."

"You think it was only fruit that kept me here." Sanjay grinned and pulled the girl closer for a kiss.

His sister blushed and then cleared her throat to get their attention. "You did say you would work out an alibi for why I've been gone so long?"

"That's right." Sonjay didn't take his eyes of Shara. "I'm pretty sure I've worked out something that'll distract Mother and Dad from bothering you for a while at least."

"Good." Melaana nodded, not really caring what the story was as long as it worked, and turned back to her own husband. "If they're distracted maybe I can get away again sooner than later."

Shara and Sonjay slipped passed them through the hatch into the freighter.

Bremon tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll send Naiva as soon as I can and you can send me a message back."

Melaana smiled thinking of their little winged messenger. "I really need to get you a comm link."

"You know I'd loose it."

She took hold of his collar and pulled him closer to her. "Then I'll tie it around your neck so I can always get a hold of you."

He kissed her before he answered. "Soon we'll be able to be together every minute of every day and you won't ever have the need to search for me."

"Alright." She nodded and stole one more quick kiss. "Then I'd better get home and see if I can make that happen."

"I love you." He said simply.

"And I you, _My Love_." She used the Onderonian again and grinned at the effect it always seemed to have on him. He pulled her close tickled her and kissed her deeply and then he was walking away, and turning back to wave.

She waved, choking back a sob and shut the hatch before she remembered that Shara was still on board. Melaana went looking for the other couple and found them in the galley strapping onto the acceleration couch. She tried to compose herself rubbing tears from her cheeks before she addressed them. "Shara, you - you're coming back with us?"

Sanjay answered for her. "Well she is part of your alibi and I thought I'd go a head and take the opportunity to introduce her to Mother and Dad." He squeezed the girl's hand and she gazed at him.

Melaana turned her face toward the cockpit. "Oh. Alright. That makes sense, I guess."

She wanted to be happy for them. Honestly, she did. But, oh, how she wished she could be bringing Brem home to meet her parents. "Better be on our way then."

She composed herself during the short ride home and was able to smile and laugh off her mother's worries when they arrived. She introduced Shara as a friend she had met and who was kind enough to allow her to stay while she got over the shock of Dane's departure. She wondered if her brother was really going to be brave enough to try to explain that he and the merchant's daughter had formed some sort of attachment, when he gave her a look to shut her up and let him get a word in edge wise.

"Shara isn't only Melaana's friend." He spoke up now that he had his chance. "She and I happen to have known one another for some time and as of two days ago..." Sanjay took the girl's hand and gave her a look of complete adoration. "She became my wife."

Melaana's mouth fell open. Why hadn't they told her? If this was part of the alibi she should have known. She shut her mouth hastily and tried to look as if the news didn't come as a complete shock. But her mother and father didn't seem to have noticed.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Sanjay asked, "Well, are you going to congratulate us and welcome your new daughter-in-law?"

And then suddenly everyone was hugging and exclaiming how wonderful it was. And mother was so happy that her daughter was betrothed and her son was married and her son-in-law to be and her new daughter-in-law were the best any mother could hope for.

Sanjay winked at his sister. If he had been hoping for a distraction, the news definitely did the trick, but Melaana somehow felt betrayed. He'd stolen her thunder. They should have all been celebrating her wedding.

She endured a few more minutes of the spectacle and then rubbed at a very real ache that was forming behind her right eyebrow. "I'm going to go check if Dane sent me a comm." She wasn't sure if they actually heard her.

Mother said something about getting her rest so they could plan another party, this time to welcome Shara to their circle of friends.

There was no message from Dane. Melaana felt crushed. But then she did something she hardly ever did. She pulled up the gossip net on her holopad. She just had a hunch.

And there it was exactly what she was looking for. Who was that handsome young bodyguard who had arrived back on Coruscant with Senator Skelari?

In the holo that accompanied the story the young man was ever so gentle offering his hand and helping her to step from a speeder. Melaana wondered if Mina had told him yet about the baby. The way he looked at her, the care he showed, must have meant something. The announcer ended the story with a final comment, "Careful there Senator. We've heard your soldier boy is engaged."

Melaana couldn't help but giggle. She had just been more or less mentioned on galactic news.


	27. rich food and bad dreams

Back to Mandalore and Soniee, unable to sleep. A little time has passed since the Concord Dawn tragedy. She's a little further along in her pregnancy. She still worries about the future and wonders about her past.

* * *

Meilooruns. No not just meilooruns, fried meilooruns... Fried meilooruns from Dex's Diner on Coruscant! That's what she was craving. Not that she wanted to go back to Coruscant to get them. She hadn't wanted to go there in the first place. Still, she remembered the tall towers and the busy sky lanes, days spent in boring senate meetings and nights spent at the theater or fancy parties with representatives from planets all over the galaxy.

She remembered the first time she had tried fried meilooruns at Dex's with Fox. She had even gotten him to remove his helmet to share the dish with her. She thought now, looking back, that she was probably one of the few people ever to see him without it.

The last time she'd eaten Dex's fried meilooruns was with Fox also, that picnic with he and Lux... Lux had seemed to think there was something between them. Maybe there was. Maybe there would have been. She hadn't been able to say a word to him at her graduation. But why was she thinking about that now? She was in a much better place.

As if in agreement, Korkie spooned closer around her back. His arm was draped over her and his hand resting on her growing stomach. He was still sound asleep. It amazed Soniee how her husband could sleep through anything.

He said he had been asleep weeks ago when she left the apartment and walked out to pilot the _Bes'uliik_ in the middle of the night. And then they said she had quoted epic poetry. She couldn't remember any of it. He wasn't so worried now about her doing it again, now that she was back to her old self.

The worst thing he had to worry about now in the night were the terrible dreams that still plagued her. She tried to down play them but in truth they were getting worse. Now that she knew what she had to loose. Now that she had felt that tiny developing spark of personality. Oron was real to her now, and the idea of loosing him...

But it hadn't been a dream that had woken her tonight, or the odd compulsion to go out and pilot a war droid. Tonight she was just hungry.

Soniee carefully lifted Korkie's arm and slipped out of bed. She tiptoed out to the kitchen and tried to think what she was hungry for since fried meilooruns were not on the menu.

 _Uj'alayi_! Oh yum! And they had some left in the conservator! Parja had first introduced her to the spicy, sweet fruit cake, drenched in syrup. Now she was hooked on it. She would never have gone for anything so rich before she got pregnant and she'd never let Oron hear the end of it as he grew up, how it was his fault that she got so fat on fried food and cake.

She smiled as she cut herself a large wedge and brought it to the table. Doctor Gilamar had told her to show some restraint, that her blood sugar and blood pressure would skyrocket if she overdid the junk food. She did try. Tomorrow she would do better at keeping to a healthy diet. Tonight she indulged the craving.

She looked around the apartment while she ate. There was the datapad she was rebuilding. It was a project she'd brought home from Parja's shop. She was glad that Korkie had let her somewhat go back to work. It kept her hands and her mind busy.

Then her eyes fell on the journal. She never had copied those pages and sent the data transfer to Lux. It seemed disrespectful to Ordo Buir's memory to attempt to learn the Onderonian runes just now. She wondered if Lux had heard about the tragedy of Concord Dawn. Maybe he thought she'd been there, too, that she had died along with the others. She wasn't even tempted to go searching the gossipnets to hear what they were saying about her. No, she really was much better off here.

She had tried to distance herself from the Force as well. The necklace, the kyber crystal, hung on a jewelry stand on the top of her dresser. She felt it calling to her even now. She couldn't cut herself off completely from who she was.

And then she felt something else, the sudden wakeful panic of her husband realizing that she was no longer beside him. He burst from the bedroom and then sighed with relief. He came to stand behind her chair, set his hands on her shoulders, and kissed the top of her head.

"Was it the dreams again, Love?" he asked softly.

"No," she turned her head and smiled up at him. "Your son was hungry."

He noticed her half-empty plate and shook his head. He went to the conservator himself and pulled out the pitcher of blue milk and then grabbed two cups from the cupboard. He poured a drink for each of them and set hers in front of her before he spoke again. "So nothing's bothering you?"

"Not really," She took a drink and pushed plate and fork toward him to share the treat. "Just wondering if the people I met on Coruscant know I'm still alive or if it matters to them."

"I'm sure they care." He said quickly before stuffing a bite of cake in his mouth. She knew he didn't really like to think about the 'friends' she'd made in the core. She watched him as he chewed and swallowed and then took a gulp of his drink. He spoke his mind as gently as he could. "Though if your enemies thought you were... Well, it would be nice not to have to be looking over our shoulders all the time, thinking that someone might be coming after us."

She hadn't thought of that. If the Sith, the one who had tried to control her, presumed that she was dead, it didn't seem like as high a price to pay for Lux and Fox and Padme to mourn her. They might even be safer with their connection to her severed.

She didn't quite smile at the idea but it did ease her mind a bit. She finished her milk quietly and then stood from the table. "I think I might be ready to go back to bed now." Oron kicked her bladder. "After a trip to the 'fresher," she amended.

Korkie smiled. "I'll clean up here. You go ahead."

* * *

Was it a dream? No, not quite a dream, not the dream that usually had her gripped with fear. She saw a red planet and figures swirling with green mist. Some of the figures were familiar, one red skinned with horns, another in a cloak and hood black as night. There was a female figure also. She was old but powerful and nearly as evil as the cloaked being. It was from her that the green magik emanated, and Maul called her, 'Mother.'

The three were fighting among others who she should have been able to name but Soniee couldn't really tell who was on which side or who was winning. In the end the Mother sacrificed herself so Maul could escape. She could feel his pain as he fled the battle, the last of his family gone. Or was it?

She could sense the... was that hope? as he turned his focus directly toward Soniee herself. He at least knew she was still alive.

"Daughter." She heard him hiss through the dream that was a dream but wasn't. "I'm coming home."

She didn't know what sickened her more. The fact that he thought of Mandalore as his new home or the fact that he considered her to be his family. She couldn't keep from hearing the words he spoke next though she wanted to. "I'm so sorry, _ner ad'ika_. I never meant to leave you an orphan but now I will make it up to you. _Ni kar'tayl gai sa'ad_ ." It was the Mandalorian adoption vow , the words Veeka Ordo had said over her when she was a baby after her birth mother's crash . _I know your name as my child._

"NO!" she screamed, sitting bolt upright in bed. The necklace was back around her neck but she didn't remember putting it on. She left it on, now, knowing somehow that she would need its power in the days to come.

Korkie was immediately awake and trying to comfort her. "It's alright," He said softly. "I'm here and you're just fine. Oron is just fine..."

"No! That's not it." She shook her head fiercely. "It wasn't that dream. I - I don't think it was a dream at all. We need to contact Bo-Katan! We need to tell her! Maul is on his way back to Mandalore!"

* * *

i've never been able to find a copy of the "Son of Dathomir" comic series but i've read a little of what they include and that is the battle between Sidious, Mother Talzin and Maul that I've alluded to here. I think Grevious and/or Dooku may have been involved also but since i'm not sure i didn't put them in by name. I do know that the old witch did give up her own life for her 'son', so it only makes sense that Maul is feeling the Mandalorian family ties pretty strongly when he heads back there.


	28. mission briefing

Finally working up to the Siege of Mandalore based on Dave Filoni's interview about the untold Ahsoka stories from last summer's Celebration and the Ahsoka novel. Except I had to bring Fox back and give him a happy ending...

* * *

Help was on the way. And not just Bo-Katan and her Nightowls. Bo had somehow gotten a message to Ahsoka and though she wasn't a Jedi anymore and the council couldn't officially send aid to a neutral system it was all working out for their benefit. Ahsoka had been given command of nearly half of the old 501st to help out with their cause. Now they were all gathering at Enceri's one rather small tapcaf. Fenn Rau was bringing his Protectors, among whom Korkie would now be officially included, and Parja was bringing a few family and friends as well. And Lagos could hardly wait to rejoin the Nightowls now that Tracen was old enough to be left in someone else's care.

Most likely the babysitting would fall to Soniee. She couldn't exactly march into battle with all the rest at five and a half months pregnant. But she did have a part to play. It was Ahsoka's idea. She'd sent a datacube for Soniee to study.

It would be just like when she was on Coruscant reaching out into the Force to sense if Korkie or Lagos or Momma were safe and well. Now she had the crystal to magnify her efforts. She'd been practicing and there was a presence among the soldiers that were arriving with Ahsoka that felt distinctly familiar. It was Lagos however who Soniee could tell was frustrated and running late on the morning of the meeting. She told Korkie to go on ahead of her and she stopped off to see if she could do anything to help her friend.

"It always happens just before we leave the apartment when I need to be somewhere!" Lagos was frantic. Tracen had just inflicted upon her a massive diaper blowout. He was sitting on the floor, a complete mess, giggling.

"What can I do to help?" Soniee asked smiling at the little boy who was still adorable, even in his current state.

"Well I need to change my clothes and he needs a whole new outfit."

"I'll see to him." Soniee offered. "You get ready and head over to the meeting."

"Are you sure? It's really my responsibility to deal with his osik." but even as she said it, Lagos was heading off to change her clothes.

"I'd better get used to it. I'm going to be watching him for a while and I'm sure Oron will give me the same or worse in a few months."

"Thank you so much! I owe you, big time!" Lagos called from her bedroom.

Soniee started to scoop up the little mess and then thought better of it and held him at arms length. He squirmed and giggled. "I think Auntie Soniee just needs to give you a bath."

She carried him toward the refresher and while she was still running the water she heard Lagos call back as she headed out the door. "You really are a lifesaver!"

It took longer than she thought with Tracen playing and splashing in the water and trying to reach around her own belly to keep the slippery little guy from going under. She was soaked by the end of it but at least he was clean and dry. She had to set him in a crib for a moment so she could throw on a tunic borrowed from Lagos's dresser. And then finally they were both ready to go to the meeting.

The briefing had already begun when she entered the tapcaf and started to edge her way through the press of bodies to try to find Korkie and Lagos. She was amazed at the number of clones who had been deployed for the mission. She wasn't making much headway until someone called her name and the crowd parted. "Soniee! _Su cuy'gar!_ "

And so her feeling in the Force had been correct. She shifted Tracen on her hip and smiled. " _Su cuy'gar_ _, Al'verde._ "

Fox made his way toward her but Korkie was quicker. Her husband slipped an arm, rather more possessively than protectively around her shoulders and led her toward the front of the gathering. Bo-Katan, Ahsoka and a Captain who Soniee remembered was called Rex were in charge of the briefing. Rex frowned at the sight of Tracen. "Is this really the place for a kid?"

Lagos stepped up to Soniee to retrieve her son. "He's Mando'ad. In a couple years he'll be out there fighting with us."

"Besides," Ahsoka grinned and backhanded the captain's shoulder. "How old were you the first time you sat through a briefing?"

"Point taken, General." Rex nearly smiled.

Soniee could sense in him the joy at working with the Togruta again after her departure from the Jedi Order.

"How's it going, Soniee?" Ahsoka asked her. "Do you need us to catch you up?"

"No. Thanks. I'm just going to sit on the sidelines and try to get a sense of everyone."

"Sounds good." Ahsoka returned to addressing the entire crowd. "Commander Ordo won't be with us on the front lines."

"Ordo?" Korkie complained quietly beside her at the use of her maiden name.

"Commander?" Soniee interjected and nudged her husband affectionately.

"It's the rank that befits your Force abilities." Ahsoka explained.

"But I won't be leading anyone." She laid a hand on her stomach just as Oron rolled into a more comfortable position.

Bo smirked. "Always had a knack for finding an excuse not to be involved in the action."

Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh I think Soniee will 'see' plenty. Or at least she will feel what the rest of us are experiencing. She is going to attempt what Masters in the old wars called Battle Meditation. She might come around and ask you all a few questions later, get your name and a sense of who you are and how each of you register in the Force."

"I won't be trying to influence any of you." Soniee spoke up one of the points from her study, trying to reassure those who might be wary of Jedi mind tricks. "I'll just sort of be guiding the best outcomes." She shrugged. "Or I'll try anyway..."

"Hey, do or do not." One of the clones yelled from the back of the bunch. "There is no try." And a few others laughed.

Ahsoka laughed, too. "That's what Master Yoda told us."

And then they got back to business, planning how they would go about taking back the capitol, who would be stationed where and the timing of operations. Bo had a lot to add from her time with the Death Watch, and Korkie even had some input on the layout of certain buildings. Rau helped in co-ordinating the Protector, clone, and Nightowl forces, and where best to use ground and air assault.

Soniee found a chair and sat for a while eyes closed, listening to the plans while she worked out who would be in each group, where they would be stationed and then chose in her mind an anchor for each team that she could locate easily in the Force. In some groups it was easy. Lagos would be her anchor in one of the groups of Nightowls who would be headed around the far side of the city with jet packs.

She spoke up only once to offer Momma's Basilisk war droids to the operation.

"You don't have to do that." Fenn told her. "She meant for you to have them..."

"She would have wanted them to be used to ensure her grandson's future." Soniee insisted.

"We'll add them to the list of assets. Thank you, Soniee." Ahsoka smiled.

After that, Soniee walked among the combatants. She tried to be as unobtrusive as possible reading emotions and motivations. Some were as familiar as her own thoughts and others completely alien. She had to know these men and women so that she could do the job she was meant to do but she was realizing the flip side. Knowing them meant there would be pain if... when there were casualties. She couldn't think about that now. She kept her mind on her task.

Despite their nearly identical appearances it never failed to amaze her how different the clones were in the Force. She was attempting to learn their distinct identities in the time she had alloted before they went into battle. It was Commander Fox who still burned the brightest in her awareness, but she hadn't heard yet which group he was to be stationed with. As the meeting broke up she went to ask him if he had been given an assignment before she arrived.

She was surprised that he hardly seemed to register her presence when she came to stand next to him. He was staring at something across the room.

"Fox?" she tried to get his attention and he finally turned to her with a smile.

"Soniee." He kept a professional distance between the two of them, but she could still see a bit of the old attraction deep in his eyes. "We feared the worst when we heard about Concord Dawn. I'm sorry about your Buir." He did reach out and touch her shoulder. There was care in the gesture but not passion.

She nodded not giving in to tears. "Thank you. It was bad for awhile but she wouldn't have wanted me to drown in grief. It's good to have something to do, to fight back."

"And everything else is alright?" He asked. "Your husband?" His cheeks colored and his voice lowered as he gestured toward her belly. "The baby?"

"Yes." Soniee smiled and he seemed relieved. "We're all doing very well now." She sought to change the subject. "I didn't hear what your orders were for the battle, which group you were assigned to?"

"Oh I'm..."

At that moment Lagos came to stand beside her, still holding Tracen. The little boy was chewing on his fist and looking around at all the action.

"Oh Fox, this is my friend Lagos who I told you so much about," Soniee told him.

His eyes traveled, enchanted, between the baby and his mother. "Yes, I - we met before you arrived and this must be..."

"My son," Lagos was smiling also, gaze riveted on the clone. "Tracen."

"Tracen." He repeated, grinning. "That's 'fire' in Mando'a."

Lagos nodded. "That's right."

Fox reached out to tap the child's nose with his finger and then asked his mother. "May I?"

Again Lagos nodded and started to pass the boy over to him. To the surprise of all of them Tracen went willingly, reaching for Fox as if he trusted the Commander implicitly. His little fist grabbed at Fox's nose and he cooed, "Bu."

The big soldier softened. "Nah, Tr'ika. I'm not your buir but I'll do my best to take care of you, while your Momma is away."

Soniee's gaze shifted from Fox with the baby, back to Lagos and she thought she saw her friend's eyes glaze over with happy tears.

"That's your assignment then?" Soniee asked Fox. He looked so natural holding Tracen. "You're staying here to guard Tracen and I?"

"Yeah," Fox grinned, bouncing the baby in his arms. "If that's okay with you. I mean, I know you could probably take care of him better than I could, but Captain Rex thought, and I agreed with him, that since you're going to be busy with your Meditation, it might be good to have someone around just in case you need anything."

"I appreciate it." Soniee said but it didn't seem as if anyone was actually listening to her. Lagos took a step closer brushing back Tracen's shock of blond hair with her fingers. The mother began to explain some of what he would need to know about feeding and changing and bedtime routine.

Soniee stepped away leaving them as alone as they could be in a room full of soldiers readying themselves for battle. She made her way over to where Korkie was conferring with the leaders. She slipped under his arm and wrapped both of her arms around him listening but not interrupting the flow of conversation.

"'Til tomorrow morning then." Korkie saluted as he would have back at the academy at the end of their discussion and began to lead her away. Then once they were out in the fresh air again he whispered against her hair, "So we have one more night together."

"Don't say it like that. It sounds so final. Everything's going to be fine." She countered trying to convince herself as much as him.

"I'm sorry. I just, I don't like leaving you alone." He turned her around to face him clutching her shoulders.

"Me? It's all of you who are going into battle. I'll just be sitting here watching it all happen. I suppose I'll have Tracen here to distract me and Fox will be around if I'm too deep in the meditation to care for him..."

"Fox is it?" Korkie clenched his jaw and looked away.

"Korkie he's not... You should have seen the way he was looking at Lagos..."

"And this meditation thing. I don't... I've seen you stuck in a trance before. I hated it. It was like YOU weren't even there."

Soniee sighed. "It won't be like that. I didn't have any control then. It was like I was stuck inside my head but this... I'll be reaching out. I'll be in contact with you all the time. I'll make sure that you can feel me wherever you are."

The corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk and he pulled her into an embrace. "I'd rather just feel you here."

"Korkie!" She blushed even as she joined him in a kiss.

"Come on." He took her hand and pulled her on toward their apartment. "One more night before we have to be physically apart for a short time."

"Soniee!" someone called her name and they both turned to see who it was. Commander Fox came running up the street towards them.

Korkie's grip on her hand tightened but he didn't lash out, not yet anyway.

The clone nodded respectfully to her husband before he held out a flimsiplast package. "Brought you this from Coruscant." He shrugged. "They're not fresh but I figured you could reheat them or somethin'."

She looked curiously at the packaging and saw the name of the establishment printed in Basic. "You didn't?" She said excitedly, letting go of Korkie's hand so she could peal back the lid. "Fried Meilooruns! How did you know I've been craving these?" She stood on tiptoe to give Fox a one armed hug. Then she let him go a little guiltily and stepped back to Korkie's side. "Thank you."

She didn't have to look at her husband to feel his jealousy. She did look down the road the way Fox had come and saw Lagos standing and watching from the front step of her apartment. "I think Lagos is waiting for you."

Fox turned, looked, and ran a hand through his hair with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, she, uh, said I could stay at her place, learn the lay of the land, so I can better look out for Trace."

"Well we," Soniee gave Korkie an 'I told you so' nudge in the ribs with her elbow. "We won't keep you."

"Yeah, uh, see you both tomorrow." Fox sprinted back down the street where he ushered Lagos and her son politely into their home.

Korkie, anger ebbing away, replaced by confusion, shook his head. "What was that?"

"Well, what he always wanted was a Mando girl and a family, and Lagos has been feeling like it's about time she got back out and started dating again, and hoping to find someone who would be a good father for Tracen..."

"And you're okay with this?" Korkie asked.

Soniee laughed. "I think it's wonderful."

Korkie's face spread into a grin. "We should celebrate then."

"Alright." They continued, arms around one another, to their own apartment.


	29. expecting

Back to Melaana and welcoming back a character from chapter 5 of my Duchess Diaries story and Chapter 2 of the Ashla Spectrum. speaking of chapter 2 of the Ashla Spectrum, going back and reading that one after all this is heartbreaking. :(  
anywho Dane really needs to figure out how to break the news to everyone about he and Mina and yes Melaana's mom is addicted to holosoaps.

* * *

The blue of hyperspace condensed into streaks and then pinpoints of individual stars as Melaana brought the Ruping Queen back to sublight speed.

Her instructor began a grudging complement. "Very good. That was..."

But Melaana was stripping off her belts as quickly as possible and then running for the 'fresher.

"Miss Rash, are you quite alright?"

She didn't answer. She was too busy emptying the contents of her stomach. She couldn't understand it. She had never been prone to space sickness before. At least she had piloted the ship safely into Onderonian space before the queasiness overtook her. The strangest thing was that it had begun before they had even taken off that morning. And she'd just about bitten Sanjay's head off at breakfast yesterday also because the smell of his muja syrup made her want to puke.

She just had to get out of the house today. They were measuring her room. The remodeling plans had begun the same day her brother had brought Shara home. A whole new wing of the house would be dedicated to the couple and since Melaana would be moving to her own home with Dane in the very near future her former suite of rooms would be transformed into the nursery for the next Rash family heir.

Melaana didn't begrudge them the space, really she didn't. She was as excited as anyone about the idea of having a niece or nephew. It just all seemed a little premature.

Now she felt awful. All she wanted was to be back in her own bed. Preferably joined by her husband but it would be easier for him to come to her by dark of night than now in the middle of the morning.

There was a knock at the refresher door. Melaana's instructor, acting as her co-pilot, would have brought the ship into orbit around Onderon before coming to seek her out.

"Are you alright, Miss Rash?" The woman's voice was softer than her usual commanding tone.

"I'm fine." Her answer came out shakier than she would have liked. She rinsed out her mouth with water from the sink and splashed a little more over her face before she exited the small room with what she hoped was a convincing smile. "I'm just fine. That last jump just turned my stomach a bit."

Her instructor's expression was smug. "It would seem that your Lieutenant left you with another little gift before his departure."

"What are you talking about?" Melaana shot back. She honestly didn't understand and then the insinuation dawned on her. Before she thought better of it she exclaimed, "Dane and I never..."

The Sargent patted her shoulder. "You wouldn't be the first to spend a betrothal night in the manor of an official wedding night."

Melaana felt her face grow warm and then she let out a bark of a laugh. "He can't wait to become a father." This at least she knew was true. Dane had let her know in his last comm that Mina had finally told him the truth about her own pregnancy. He was thankful that she had orchestrated his mission to Coruscant but he was still unsure how to go about breaking his alliance with the Rash family. He said he was thinking about it. Now more than ever Melaana hoped he would hurry up and get on with it. A little public disgrace didn't seem quite so bad in the light of...

She turned back toward the 'fresher and snapped the door shut in her instructor's face as she dropped back to her knees in front of toilet. She heard the woman laughing in the corridor.

"Are you up to another jump or would you rather call it a day for this lesson?" she asked.

"I think I'm done." Melaana managed.

The response was not unkind. "I'll lay in a course for your estate, Miss Rash."

* * *

"You're home early." Melaana's mother was reclining on a sofa watching a holodrama in the family's entertainment chamber. Just as she said it the program paused for a preview of one of the gossip holos, a very juicy rumor of a young senator's affair and supposed, resulting love child.

Mother quickly shut off the projector. She had been attempting to shield her daughter from the malicious lies that some so-called journalists had been inventing the past few weeks.

Melaana pretended she hadn't seen or heard the advertisement. "I wasn't feeling well. I decided to cut the lesson short today."

"Not feeling well?" Worried, Mother rose from her seat and placed the back of her hand against Melaana's forehead. "Your health hasn't been quite the same since that terrible affliction last spring."

She pushed the hand away. "Mother it was only a cold and I think this is just something that I ate that didn't sit well. It's nothing."

"Still." The Rash matriarch frowned. "I think you should have a full med scan. I've ordered a midwife droid, just to be prepared for when your sister-in-law requires it. I'm sure it will be capable of a regular physical as well, and then we can assure the Lieutenant and his family of your well being."

"Mother, I don't think..." Melaana's hand went unintentionally to her abdomen but she drew it away again quickly.

The older Rash female caught the movement and her eyebrows drew together. "Go on to bed now, get some rest."

"Yes, Mother." She was glad to go.

Before she could exit the room however, her mother stopped her once more. "Melaana, you and Dane... you don't have any reason to suspect..."

She was ready for the question this time and put on her most innocent and confused expression. "Suspect what, Mother?"

"Oh nothing, My Dear." The older woman seemed appeased for the moment. "But I think we should have a discussion later, about marriage and what you might expect... in dealing with your husband."

Melaana produced an even more bewildered frown. "Expect... with my husband?" she asked.

Mother's face flushed red. "To bed with you now. We'll talk about it later."

"Yes, Mother." She turned around grinning and hurried up to her room.

* * *

Once in her own room, Melaana slid the door shut and leaned back against it. She covered her mouth and screamed into her cupped hands. She was amazed and excited and scared to death. She ran over to her full length mirror and lifted her tunic to peer at her flat stomach. It seemed impossible.

She turned and looked around at her room, the chamber that her parents intended to turn into a nursery for their future grandchild. She grinned wondering what they would say if they knew what had happened here the night she had returned from her honeymoon.

Bremon, unable to wait for her response from Naiva, had gotten Frayl to drop him on the Rash family's roof. He had made his way to her window, and slipped inside, completely undetected.

"What does a little girl like you need with such a big bed?" He had commented with a laugh.

And she had answered him. "I'm not a little girl. I'll have you know that I'm a married woman."

"And does your husband know you were sitting here all alone wasting away?" he caressed her cheek and she closed her eyes, smiling, and leaning into his touch.

"I think he's about to remedy that."

She had bit her tongue to keep from crying out when he made love to her. But it was his exclamation of her name that she was sure would have given them away.

She wondered now if it was that night that the miracle had occurred. Or perhaps it was even before that. Maybe the seed had been planted while they were still on Dxun.

A chill ran down her spine. The prophecy! What if this child was the one Brem's uncle waiting for? The very idea took some of the wind out of her sails.

She would have to think about how she would reveal the news to Bremon. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted to see him smile like when he'd watched her holding little Steela. And this baby would be their very own.

It would be a girl. She was sure of it. A sweet little girl couldn't possibly become an evil Dark Lord.

Melaana turned back to observe her reflection in the mirror and the name came to her. "Sanya. Sanya Kira." She nodded confidently and then ran for the 'fresher.

* * *

The midwife droid arrived later that afternoon. Mother had evidently told it where it could find its patient. When it entered her room, Melaana thought it looked about as exasperated as it was possible for a droid to look.

"I am J3-6TN, medical droid, specializing in prenatal, labor, and delivery care." The cool female voice informed her.

"Mother wanted you to give me a full med scan." She still wasn't sure what she was going to do if and when this thing confirmed what she suspected. She couldn't let it tell her mother. Not yet anyway.

"It is beneath my programing, but yes."

Melaana smiled. She made sure that the door was shut and locked behind them. "I don't think it is actually. But ... can you keep a secret?"

It seemed to consider the idea, tilting its head to one side. "Doctor/patient confidentiality is acceptable if it does not compromise your treatment."

"Good." Melaana gave a sigh of relief. "Because I think I might be..."

A beam of light emanating from the droid's optical sensors moved over Melaana from head to feet and then did a second pass over her midsection. "Your embryo is approximately 2 weeks and 4 days from conception give or take a matter of hours."

Melaana's hand went to her abdomen and she did the mental calculations. So it was Dxun, then. "You can tell that, this early?"

"It is easier, in fact, to date a pregnancy precisely at this stage. As a fetus grows there is a greater acceptable discrepancy for normal rates of development."

"So you won't... tell my mother, will you?"

Jay-three's head tilted again, as she calculated an answer. "I see no reason to inform Her Ladyship of your condition. It will become obvious in time with or without my revelation."

"Oh, thank you, Jay-three."

The droid nodded. "It is my pleasure to perform the services for which I was designed. My primary patient has yet to conceive."

"Shara's not pregnant yet, then?" Melaana couldn't help a little pride from rising up within her. She'd beaten her brother at producing an heir.

But then the droid continued. "It is not uncommon. The couple has only been attempting fertilization for less than a year."

"A year?" Melaana choked. "How much less than a year?"

"Your sister-in-law informed me that the relationship began 10 standard months ago."

"Why that little..." she mumbled then she frowned. "In my case the... relationship only began a couple of weeks ago. This must have happened more or less on our first try."

"That does sometimes happen, also."

Melaana began pacing. "Well we can't tell them either, Shara and my brother I mean. To think this is so important to them and it came so easily to me..."

The droid interrupted her thoughts. "You will of course wish to inform the father on Coruscant. I am capable of sending a record of your scan..." a series of beeps and whistles followed as if J3 was in the process of doing just that.

Melaana rushed over to stop her. "Oh no! You can't send it there!"

The droid stopped. "Lieutenant Dane Bonteri is not at this time stationed on Coruscant?"

"Lieutenant Dane Bonteri is not the father." Melaana informed her.

"Oh dear," J3 worried. "I have the note in your records provided to me by your mother that you were betrothed to Lt. Bonteri and his military medical records have already been transfered to me so that I might analyze and compare for the possibility of genetic abnormalities and mutations in your future children."

"Well, you won't be needing that." Melaana was a little disturbed by the lengths her mother had gone to in this process.

"Who is the father, Mistress?"

"Is that important?" she asked in return still not entirely sure how much information she wanted to share with the droid and if the confidentiality would last as long as she needed it to. Then she thought of something else. "You haven't detected any sort of abnormality already, have you?"

"Nothing that puts you or the fetus at risk, only an increase in midi-chlorian levels."

Melaana had no idea what that meant but since it didn't pose a risk she decided to push it to the back of her mind for later.

"The father, Mistress?" J3 asked again.

"My husband, Bremon Kira." she answered distractedly and then she added quickly. "But please you mustn't tell anyone."

"No, Mistress. Your mother will be informed that all scans are normal. You are in perfect health. I have no reason to share your personal medical records with anyone else."

"Thank you, Jay-three."

The droid turned to go. "I trust that you will inform the father in your own time."

"But it would be helpful to have his medical history? It would help prepare for the baby?" Melaana asked. She wondered what beings did who couldn't afford droids. Females did give birth and hatch young all over the galaxy all the time without help. It seemed like knowing just gave her more to worry about.

"It would be helpful and ... interesting, but not necessary." Then the mechanical voice almost sounded a bit guilty. "I find the endless combinations of biological genetics fascinating."

Melaana giggled in spite of herself. "I'll see what I can do about getting you some new research material."

"Thank you, Mistress." J3 inclined her head in a kind of bow and exited the room with an extra spring in her step.


	30. worth fighting for

Soniee's nightmares might actually be helping her get her head in the right place for the battle to come.

Dedicated to any parent who's ever woken up from a bad dream and had to check to make sure everybody in the house is still breathing before you can get back to sleep yourself.

* * *

It was the same dream again. And knowing it was a dream didn't lessen the pain of feeling Oron slip away from her and being powerless to save him. She had the Force. She wouldn't let this happen. She wouldn't lose him...

Suddenly the dream changed. It was dark and cold and quiet as the grave. Then the voice spoke to her out of the darkness. "So you've come again, _Ner Ad'ika_."

She drew in a breath. She knew that voice but she had no idea where she was. And then the darkness gradually condensed into precise geometric shapes. The throne room in the palace at Sundari. She heard her own footsteps walking across the transparasteel floor toward the being lounging on the throne. "Why do you keep invading my mind?" She asked him.

"Me?" He gestured to himself with surprise. "Why, my dear, I have only ever accepted your invitation."

"That's ridiculous! Why would I ever invite _you_ into my mind?" Soniee stopped walking. She crossed her arms over her chest and even in the dream/vision, whatever it was, she could feel the swell of her abdomen under her arms. She sensed the realization of her condition wash over Maul and dropped her arms back down to her sides.

He smiled. "I would think that was obvious." He stood and walked toward her, placing a hand on her shoulder. " _Ner Ad'ika_ , you grew up forced to hide what you are. Never allowed to use the powers that are as much a part of you as the beating of your heart. Your b _uir_ was right to shield you from the Jedi. They would have only stifled your efficacy."

He walked around her till he was standing directly behind and bent down to whisper in her ear. "Now you have been given a gift. A parent who only wishes to see you reach your true potential."

"You think very highly of yourself." She swallowed but she didn't contradict him. Was that what she wanted? Was that why her mind kept bringing her to him?

He chuckled. "I don't say it to brag. I only know who I am. I was trained from a young age how to use my powers and encouraged to grow and improve..."

"I know who your teacher was. He abandoned you. He tried to kill you." She defied him.

His thin fingers dug into her shoulders for a moment and she wondered if she would find bruises there when she woke.

Maul quickly regained control and gave another short laugh. "The Sith have failings just like the Jedi. We can be something new. _Aliit_. _Mando'ade_. I can bring you to the position where you belong." He turned her just slightly so she was looking at the throne. "Daughter-in-law of the Duchess. It is your destiny. And one day..." His arm went around her so that his hand rested on her round belly. "My grandson on the throne."

"Never!" She spun away from him. " _Chakaar! Aruetii! Ni kyr'tayl gai Dar Buir_!" She slammed shut the connection between them and woke panting. She could still feel the pressure of his hands on her shoulders.

Korkie was sleeping peacefully beside her. Oron was safe and sound in her womb. She felt the need to check on the rest of her charges.

She closed her eyes and found Fenn Rau in the Force. He had almost been her father. If only he and Ordo'buir had had more time. She could sense that he had fallen asleep crying for Veeka. Soniee didn't think any less of him for it. He would use his grief to push himself to fight harder in the battle.

Ahsoka was in a deep sleep. She must know a way to use her meditation to afford herself dreamless rest before an engagement. Soniee was going to have to ask the Togruta to teach her that.

Most of the clones and Protectors and Nightowls were also asleep, taking advantage while they were able.

Then Soniee focused on Fox. She had been avoiding looking in on his thoughts since she had heard him say that Lagos had invited him to stay. She couldn't say she was surprised by what she saw now. He was lying contentedly, asleep with a fan of blond hair spread over his bare chest and when the head turned Soniee could see the profile of her former roommate.

Lagos had asked and he had already or was planning to make the vow to adopt Tracen as his own. They were both thinking of the other vows they might say together and wondering if it was too soon. Should they wait until they knew each other better? Who knew how much time either of them had, if she would come back from this battle or if he would be called to Coruscant to fight another.

Soniee left them to their moment of peace and turned her mind elsewhere. Bo-Katan was awake and seemed to recognize the gentle intrusion of a Force user. "What is it?" she asked aloud.

'We need to talk.' Soniee thought at her.

The Nightowl rose without hesitation from her chair and began gathering her things.

Soniee left the connection and got up from her own bed. She pulled on a robe and walked out to the main room. She placed her hand on the control pad and when she felt Bo about to knock she slid the door open before the knuckles made contact with durasteel.

"It is really spooky when you do that." Bo entered and went to the kitchen. She sat down in a chair at the table.

Soniee shut the door and then followed her, "I'm sorry." She filled a kettle, set it on to boil, and then began to get out cups and behot leaves.

"I didn't come over just for shig. What's the deal? You did summon me here for a purpose, didn't you?"

"I did. I..." Soniee sat in the second chair at the table. "I saw something that you need to know about."

Bo sat up a little straighter. She was worried that the Force user had already seen the outcome of the battle.

Soniee hurried to reassure her. If this could count as more reassuring than news that the battle was already lost. "I saw Maul. First the other day. It's how I knew he was coming, how I knew to have Korkie send for you."

"I assumed as much."

Soniee went on to tell her about that first vision. "He wants to train me. We've known that for a while but this time he... he adopted me, recited the vow."

Bo-Katan swore. "I hope you told him he could _shab'rudur_..."

"I called him a thief and a traitor and I named him _Dar Buir_."

"No longer a parent. He should never have presumed that he was worthy of that position in the first place. Thought Kenobi had taken care of that by chopping him in half."

Soniee sighed. "There's more. He knows about Korkie." she hurried on. "He called me the daughter-in-law of the Duchess and said that it was my destiny to rule and he said he'd..." the words were out of her mouth a second before she sensed that Korkie was awake and listening. "that he'd put his 'grandson' on the throne."

"Maul wants our baby?" The kettle screamed mirroring Korkie's anger. He went to fetch it and brought it to the table where the two women sat.

"Of course he does." Bo conceded. "An heir and a potential Force user..."

"He'll be disappointed there, I think..." Soniee bit her lip. "I don't think Oron will be able to use the Force. I've never felt anything like that from him."

Bo actually smiled. She looked as though she was remembering something. "Just like his dad. Kork, your mom was so happy when she found out she wouldn't have to hand you over to the Order."

Korkie put an arm around his wife. "See? You were worried about having to teach him. We can both teach him, just to be a normal kid. Nobody will take him from us."

Soniee tried to smile. She knew he was trying to reassure her but she was thinking of what Maul had said, about growing up hiding what she was. He had said her powers were as much a part of her as her beating heart. Her effectiveness had been stifled. She had never reached her true potential...

The thoughts swirled as aunt and nephew poured the shig added sweetener talked of parenting as if it was the most natural thing in the galaxy. Maybe it was, but not for Soniee. How could she ever raise a child normal or not? And if she lost Korkie in the coming battle... she could never do it alone. She understood why Lagos jumped at the chance to give Tracen a father.

Bo-Katan spoke of her own daughter, and how she had worried too. But everything had seemed to come naturally after a while, instinct. They were _Mando'ade._ Parenting was part of the culture. Maul had said something very similar.

"They're well hidden, aren't they?" Soniee asked, seemingly out of nowhere, startling the other two. "Sab'ika I mean. She'll be with Gran."

"Yes." Bo gave her a wary look.

"I won't seek them out in the Force. I won't bring attention to them."

"Thanks." The Nightowl still looked a little shaken at the idea that someone like Soniee could find her daughter if she wanted to. Bo went to take another sip of her shig and found the cup empty. She stood not seeing any reason to stay longer. "I'm going to try to get some sleep before we ship out."

Soniee sat for a moment and then followed her to the door. She spoke softly so her husband wouldn't hear. "You have to kill Maul."

"That's what the whole operation is for."

"I know that." Soniee said a little louder and then moderated her tone. "But if you and Ahsoka fail, I will go after him myself."

Bo's smile held no humor. "Korkie won't like that."

"And you have to keep him away from Maul." Soniee added quickly. "Maul would use him to get to me, and if ... if I'm worried about Korkie I won't be able to help the others."

"Get a hold of yourself." Bo took her by the shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. "If this is too much for you, I'll go tell Ahsoka right now that you're out. I'll put you and my nephew on a transport ..."

"No, I can do this. I need to do this." She looked back at Korkie clearing up the cups. How did she possibly deserve him?

He seemed to feel her staring at him and smiled back at her.

Bo sighed and shook her head. "Don't let him keep you up all night. You both need your rest."

* * *

"You shouldn't worry." Korkie hugged her tight when they were alone again. "Soon this will all be behind us and we can just be the two of us..."

"Three," she corrected.

"Yes, of course, three." He knelt and kissed her belly.

"I'm not the only one who's worried." She teased him. "You're still worried about leaving me home alone with Fox."

"Do I have reason to be?" He stood and twirled her toward their bedroom. Sweeping her off her feet.

Soniee savored this time with her husband. She didn't want the moment to end. "Not if you'd seen what I saw."

"So you think there is something going on between he and Lagos?" He pushed off her robe and kissed her shoulder.

"He's adopting Tracen." She told him with complete seriousness.

He looked her in the eye, amazed. "That's... fast." Korkie had been about to say, 'crazy', Soniee knew.

"Who knows how much time they have. So...," she continued. "Well... if you weren't absolutely sure that I was already carrying your child... What would you be doing tonight?"

He looked blank for a moment and then his expression spread into a grin."Are we sure? Because I think we might want to be extra, absolutely sure of something as important as that."

This wasn't about Fox and Lagos anymore. Soniee knew this was what they both needed to be reminded of their own vows. _Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome._ One when we're together. One when we're apart. Whatever was going to happen, this is what mattered. This is what they were fighting for.


	31. personal comms

So the whole Fox/Lagos thing seems rather sudden but it turns out that they had spoken to each other before they met face to face at the mission briefing. And it's really completely adorable.

* * *

He'd felt the shock waves of the destruction of half the planet Concord Dawn all the way from Coruscant. Well, not literally, Fox was no Jedi, but the news had shaken him to his core.

For months since his Mando girl had left him, he had been out of sorts. He'd hoped he would be able to speak to her at her graduation but she'd been too busy and too married. and too pregnant?

Still he'd gone to Captain Rex asked about what had made him follow the order to kill a brother. The captain had facilitated the removal of a chip from his head.

Fox rubbed the spot on his temple. Did it matter now if she had died in the explosion? He had to know.

He contacted Senator Lux Bonteri. He was a good friend. Surely she would have contacted him if she was alright, if she had survived. But Lux was grieving too. He hadn't heard a thing.

Fox had to know.

He'd only seen it once but that was all he needed. He'd been designed with a brilliant memory. When he'd programed his own ID into Soniee's comm unit, he'd seen the ID of her friend Lagos and of course he remembered it. She would know. Lagos and Soniee were close. They'd been roommates at their academy.

He only hesitated a moment before he entered the ID and activated the comm.

A voice, tired, and unmistakably female, answered almost immediately, "Hello?"

He'd woken her. _Haar'chak_. But he didn't lessen his resolve. "Is - is this Lagos Jerec?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"CC-1010 Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard." He answered automatically and then cursed himself for his formality.

"Oh!" she exclaimed quietly. "Of course! You want to know about Soniee."

He could hardly breathe as he waited for the worst.

"She's fine. Well not fine. But she wasn't on the planet when it blew. Her Momma was and her _Ba'buir_. She's taken it very badly. Hasn't spoken."

"But she's alive?" _Thank the Force! Thank Manda!_

"Sometimes it hardly seems like it." She was whispering but her voice had the urgency of someone who hadn't had a proper conversation in weeks. "It's like she's been in a trance. She doesn't respond to anyone, not even Korkie. There was one night that she got out of the apartment, climbed up into the piloting rig of a wardroid, started walking it around town. And then she was quoting epic poetry something about being the last of her clan. It scared all of us pretty badly. Now one of us stays with her all the time, to make sure she doesn't hurt herself, or the baby."

"Is she sick, is the - the baby alright?" he asked worried.

"Doctor says physically she and the baby are just fine. It's just her mental state. Something to do with the Force probably." Here her voice dropped even lower, as if the mystic Force was something she couldn't begin to understand. "She felt the lives of all those people end. I can't imagine..."

"You're a good friend." Fox encouraged. "She told me. It's good she has you there."

"Oh well," a humble note of embarrassment colored the words. "I do what I can. I'll be going over in the morning to sit with her." Then she added suddenly as if she couldn't take all the credit. "She's lucky to have you, too."

"Me? She didn't even want to speak to me last time we met."

"But you were there for her when she needed someone, when Korkie was being a _shabla di'kut_. Soniee's an excellent judge of character and... she trusted you."

Fox didn't know how to respond.

"I'll tell her you commed, that you're thinking about her." Lagos said after a moment's silence.

"No. No. Please don't. I just..." He hardly had the right to ask but he couldn't help himself. "Could you comm me back though, if there's any change? I'd like to know that she's okay."

"Of course." She hesitated and then. "It was nice talking to you. It's been a while since I've had a proper adult conversation."

"That's right." Fox remembered. "You have a little one. Soniee told me that you were expecting when she was here."

"Mmm-hmm. She knew before I did. I was so happy for her when she found out that she was pregnant too. That our _ad'ike_ could grow up together. I really hope she snaps out of this before her time comes. Being a _buir_ really is amazing, and hard. I had just gotten Trace to sleep when you commed. That's why I was so quick picking up. I was afraid he'd wake up again."

"I'm sorry." Fox said but he was smiling. He was enjoying the way she rambled on and the sound of her voice.

"No. Please don't be. I'm so glad you commed, really."

He didn't want the comm to end. "I want to be a _buir_ someday too. I know how important that is for _Mando'ad_ , part of the _Resol'nare_ , raising warriors."

"Yes. It's- it's not easy. Especially not on my own. I'm sure Soniee told you. Trace will never know his father..."

The chime of another incoming comm rang out over her words. _Haar'chak._ "Lagos, I'm so sorry. I have to go."

"It's alright. I understand." Though she did sound disappointed.

"Comm me tomorrow to update me on Soniee's progress?" he asked.

"I will."

"I'll be looking forward to it." He smiled and then the chime sounded again and he growled silently.

"Me too."

* * *

He was standing guard outside the Chancellor's office in the senate building when his comm chimed again. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to take personal comms when he was on duty but then clones generally didn't get personal comms so the subject had never really come up.

It was her ID that came up in his HUD. It was Lagos and his heart skipped a beat. It was because she was comming to tell him about how Soniee was doing. Of course it didn't have anything to do with the fact that he couldn't wait to hear her voice again.

"Yeah." He answered in the privacy of his buy'ce. Then he cleared his throat and said, "Hello."

"Fox, it's Lagos. I've just come from Korkie and Soniee's! She's back! It's like a miracle!"

"That's great!" The news cheered him as much as the excitement in her voice.

And then she began her narration and all he could do was smile. "I was over there and she was just the same has she had been. I even put Trace in her lap and she didn't drop him or anything but he spit up all over her. He does that sometimes. My milk doesn't always sit well on his little tummy. But she didn't even flinch. And then Parja came over to visit. Parja's a friend of ours. She has a machine shop and Soniee had done some work for her before... Well, Parja's been as worried about her as any of us. And Parja has plenty to worry about. She has this boyfriend who's, well, he's like you. He was a Commando but he got a terrible head injury. The GAR would have left him to die but he had friends who got him out. The GAR thinks he's dead but he's really here on _Manda'yaim_ and getting better."

She paused a moment for breath and then continued a little slower, more carefully. "You won't tell anyone, will you? I wouldn't want anyone to think that he had deserted. It wasn't anything like that. It was really the army that gave up on him."

"No. I won't tell anyone." Of course he wouldn't, but the idea gave Fox pause to think. There was a brother out there who was free of the GAR with a girl who loved him...

"Anyway." Lagos continued with her story. "Parja and I were talking about Soniee's baby and well we had no idea if it was a boy or girl so we were calling it, 'it.' And then suddenly out of nowhere Soniee says, 'don't call him "it." He's a boy and his name is Oron.' And then she seemed a little confused. I don't think she remembers anything about piloting a _Bes'uliik_ in the middle of the night or spouting epic poetry, but she was looking us in the eye again and apologizing, though I don't know what for. It wasn't her fault, of course. Parja went to get Korkie and..." she sighed. "And as I've said I just left there. I wanted you to know right away."

It took him a moment to respond after her torrent of words. "Th-thanks. I appreciate you comming to tell me."

"Well, I - I said that I would."

And then there was that awkward silence as if they'd said all they meant to say but neither one of them really wanted to end the conversation.

"I," Lagos was the first to try to break the silence. "I can tell her that you commed. I'm sure she'll be glad to know you were worried and maybe she'll want to comm back just to... thank you for your concern."

"No, it's alright really. She's happy with her _riduur_ and _ad'ika_ on the way. I don't want to come between them."

"Alright."

Again the silence seemed to hang between them. Fox knew he needed to force himself to say something. "You could comm me sometime with an update on how she's doing. I mean, you don't have to, but if you weren't busy and you wanted to..."

"Of course!" Lagos burst out, interrupting him. "I mean. I wouldn't mind at all. In fact... I'd like to, even if it's not about Soniee. Maybe I could comm sometime... just to talk?"

"I'd like that, too." _Manda_ , would he ever.

"Then I will." She said. "But, osik. You're probably busy now. I never even asked."

"I am kind of on duty," he answered with a chuckle.

"I'll comm back later then. Or you can comm me, whenever is okay."

"I'll try not to wake your boy when you've just gotten him to sleep."

"You don't have to worry about that." She laughed. "I'll keep the comm unit right with me, answer on the first chime."

"As soon as I get off duty then..." he promised.

"I'll be waiting."


	32. shipping out

The beginning of the Siege of Mandalore also marks the beginning of other things as well.

* * *

Organized chaos was the rule of the day as clones, Nightowls, and Protectors boarded transports, checked weapons, synced comms, and got last minute orders. Soniee was already having some success neutralizing minor squabbles between the allies before they got a chance to begin. Korkie thought he was being helpful staying close by her side, offering words of encouragement, but he was really more of a distraction.

She had noticed Fox leave Lagos's apartment holding Tracen, and a few of his brothers giving him a hard time. They called him a hen-pecked, house husband but he only grinned. He seemed to have things under control. Lagos exited a short time later, checking her armor plates, buy'ce clipped to her belt, and went to stand beside him.

"I'm gonna go and see if Lagos has anything else to tell me about Trace." Soniee told her husband.

Korkie nodded, and seeing Fox, started to follow. "I think I'll go along."

"No," She turned and put a hand on his chest. "You should go check-in with Fenn. He's your superior officer." She smiled at his disgruntled expression. "I promise I won't let you leave without a kiss goodbye."

"Alright." She watched him go a few steps, then proved that she could still let him feel her at a distance, and witnessed his gasp of surprise, before turning away smiling innocently.

Lagos was just stretching out her hands for her son when Soniee reached them. Fox gave him over gently. "I'll miss you so much Tr'ika." She held him close and kissed his velvety blond head.

The baby didn't seem to care for being pressed against the hard armor plates, however. He squirmed and babbled, "Bubububu."

His mother lifted him back up to Fox. "Yes, _ad'ika_ you'll be safe with _Buir_." She wiped a tear from her eye.

"I won't let anything happen to him." Fox promised, his voice as tender as Soniee had ever heard him.

"I know." Lagos swallowed.

He looked very much as if he wanted to kiss her but wasn't sure about doing it here in front of all these people. " _K'oyacyi_."

Soniee couldn't disturb this moment. She hung back at a distance.

Lagos nodded, turned, and started to walk toward the transport that the other Nightowls were boarding. Just as she reached the ramp however she ran back and took Fox's free hand in both of hers. She looked into his eyes and recited. " _Mhi solus tome_."

He repeated the words without hesitation. " _Mhi solus tome_."

"M _hi solus dar'tome_." She said and a few people started to turn their direction realizing what was happening.

Fox only had eyes for her. "M _hi solus dar'tome_."

Soniee stepped forward and took Tracen from him without being asked so that he could hold both of Lagos's hands.

Fox took the lead on the next line. "M _hi me'dinui an."_

"M _hi me'dinui an_." She repeated.

And with a glance at their son and then back into each other's eyes they said the last line in unison. "M _hi ba'juri verde_."

A great cheer went up among the company as they pulled each other close and kissed deeply.

No one really started it, the Mandos of the group just joined in the chant with fists raised, "Solus! T'ad! Ehn! Kandosii!"

Even Tracen clapped his chubby little hands and giggled and squealed. He reached toward his parents and as Soniee handed him over she felt something like a tap on the shoulder. When she looked back, no one was there but she felt a presence. She closed her eyes and had the impression of a bald head and a friendly grin. " _Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la_." Not gone, merely marching away, she whispered and then she leaned forward and said softly in Lagos's ear. "Amis gives you his blessing."

"Thank you, Soniee." Lagos hugged her friend and then the little family was enveloped by well wishers.

Korkie came up behind and put his arms around his own wife. "Did you know this was going to happen?"

"I don't think they knew until just now." She turned and hugged him back.

"It does make me feel better about leaving you in his care." He smirked.

Soniee laughed. "I'm sure it was purely for your benefit."

Then Ahsoka leaped to the top of one of the transports and with very little effort gained the attention of the entire group. "Did we just witness a wedding?"

"That's how we do it on Mandalore!" Bo called out. "Short and sweet."

"Well I can't think of a better way to start a mission, with hope and new beginnings." Ahsoka grinned. Rex and a few of the other clones gave her confused frowns. It did seem an odd thing for a Jedi to say though Ahsoka was no longer a Jedi. The captain turned and gave Soniee a look also. He obviously thought it was she who Fox had come to Mandalore to protect.

One of the Mandos called out. "Too bad they didn't get to enjoy their wedding night before she ships out!"

"Then it's a good thing we took care of that last night!" Lagos called back, completely unashamed and happy.

Fox kissed her to another round of cheers and whistles.

"Alright! Alright!" Ahsoka regained order, this time blushing at the turn of the conversation. "We have a job to do everyone. You've all got your orders. So..." She looked as if she were at a loss for words for a moment. "Let's get it done so we can come back here and celebrate our victory!"

There were wild shouts of " _Oya_!" and " _K'oyacyi!_ " and " _Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur_!" from the Mandos while the clones, most of them charged up by the emotion but oblivious to the cultural significance, filed into their transports in meticulously drilled, orderly lines.

Korkie gave his wife one last passionate kiss. "I'll be back soon, My Love."

"Fall in, Kryze, or we're leaving you behind." Fenn yelled.

Korkie started to back away but he left his hands on her belly as long as possible.

"I love you," She told him. "We'll be right here waiting for you."

There was a similar goodbye going on with the newlyweds.

" _Ni kar'tayl gar_." Lagos told her husband.

And Fox finished the phrase, " _Darasuum_ , C _yar'ika_ _._ " Then he held up Tracen's hand and helped him to wave at his mother. "We'll be together again in no time."

Korkie and Lagos were the last to board their respective transports and then they were in the air. Fox and Soniee were left with little Tracen who was still waving and saying, "Baba. Baba."

Eventually even he was quiet, sticking his fist back into his mouth the baby laid his head against Fox's chest and stared out the direction his mother had disappeared into the sky.

"She'll be back soon, Tr'ika." Soniee told him.

"Can you sense that?" Fox asked with a hitch in his voice as if he needed the reassurance too.

Soniee smiled. "I think so. I think our loved ones will come back to us and we'll all live long healthy lives together."

"You hear that, Trace?" Fox gave the boy a little bounce which produced a throaty giggle in response.

"I thought I'd gather a few of my things and settle on the couch at Lagos's ... Your place." Soniee corrected herself. "That way Trace can be someplace familiar."

"Alright." Fox nodded. "Though you can have the bed if you want. I'll take the couch."

"No actually." Soniee grimaced and rubbed her lower back. "It's getting more comfortable for me to sleep sitting with my feet up."

Fox laughed. "Whatever's best for you and Oron."

She was surprised. "You know his name?"

"Yeah. Lagos told me. Weeks ago. Not long after you told her I think."

She stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. "You are going to have to tell me how all this came about. You don't know how happy I am that you two found each other."

"Well, we have you to thank for it." The clone hugged his son closer to his chest as Tracen snuggled against him, content.

Fox insisted on carrying all of her things, after she packed. She wasn't allowed to carry anything heavier than Tracen.

He got her settled on the couch, insisted that she put her feet up, and then while he was just getting the baby down for a nap, she had her first test.

When he returned to the living room, she was back up on her feet, pacing. "It's Epsilon squad! They've landed. They're getting into position. But - but they can't! They'll be walking right into an ambush!"

"Udessii. It's alright. That's what we're here for." He walked over to her calmly and gently held her shoulders. "We'll pull them up on the comm and let them know."

"Okay." She was trembling but she nodded and swallowed.

Fox tapped his wrist communicator. "Commander Fox to Epsilon."

The comm crackled and then a voice answered. It almost identical to Fox's but without the heavier Coruscantii accent he had picked up from being stationed there so long. "Epsilon here. What's up?"

"Commander Ordo says you've got to hold that position. She's got some intel for you."

"All - right." He didn't sound convinced. "We haven't quite reached our lay up point..."

Soniee interrupted him. "You can't! Umm. They're waiting for you! The level up! There's 6... no 7 of them!"

"Okay, could you be a little bit more clear?"

She growled. She knew she was doing this badly. "I don't... the lingo... I don't know how to explain."

Fox smiled encouragingly at her. "You can do this. Now, I know urban warfare. You show me and I will get the message to Epsilon."

"Show you?" she asked.

"Project what you see, their position, into my mind and I'll pass it on in a way they can understand."

Soniee frowned. She said a little softer, "I've only ever been able to do that with Korkie."

"No. You have accomplished something like that with me also."

"I have? When?"

Fox hedged and then gave a nervous laugh and finally said, "When I, uh, found that spot on your ankle."

She heard a crackle through the wrist comm that she was sure was a laugh. "Please tell me Epsilon squad did not just hear you say that."

"Epsilon didn't hear a thing. And Epsilon surely would not pass on what they did not hear to Mr. Commander Mando Girl or Mrs. Commander Fox." More laughter from the wrist comm.

"Kriffing Haran!" Soniee swore. "They're never going to take me seriously now!"

"Do you let the Commander use that kind of language in front of your son Commander?" Someone from Epsilon asked before she slapped the wrist comm to deactivate it.

"Fox they're in danger!"

"I know." He frowned apologetically. "Calm down and try to show me what the danger is."

She took a deep breath and nodded. Then closing her eyes she reached up and touched his right temple.

"Kriffing Haran!" he exclaimed, almost immediately.

"You see it?" she asked. "Their whatsit, lay up point? It's right beneath that level where the enemy is waiting."

"Yeah, I can tell them that." He reactivated the comm. "Epsilon, she's right." And then he started rattling off a series of numbers and letters that must have made sense to the clone soldiers. But they still didn't seem to believe it.

"Look, Commander, I've got my scope on that quadrant and I am not picking up a thing. Is she absolutely sure that's the spot?"

Soniee must have looked like a petulant child. She squeezed her eyes shut, balled her fists at her sides, then slammed her foot down on the floor as hard as she could, and gave it a twist for good measure.

Almost as soon as she had done this, she and Fox heard a voice through the comm, report. "I see something! Movement! Something popped up for just a second!"

They listened while the squad circled around and got into an alternate position to ambush the ambushers.

"What did you do?" Fox asked her.

She shrugged. "I stomped on his foot."

"You stomped on the enemy's foot, using the Force, to get him to move, and reveal his position." He looked impressed.

"I guess that's not something your Jedi officers ever did." She bit her lip. "I'm not sure that's how this Battle Meditation thing is supposed to work, but it seemed like a good idea."

He grabbed her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "It was brilliant!"

They heard cheering through the comm. "Thanks for the heads up, Ma'am. You really saved our shebs."

"Just doing my part." She sighed. "You should be clear up to your next..." She looked at Fox for conformation, "RV point?"

He nodded.

She smiled. "And it's Commander Mando Girl to you."


	33. revelation

Melaana has always been a truthful person. Hiding things and keeping secrets is not in her nature. Her relationship with Bremon has been hard enough to keep quiet. Now with even more good news she's just about to burst.

* * *

Naiva's message from Bremon said he couldn't come to her that night. He needed to stay with the animals. It was getting close to time for the Rupings to begin nesting.

"Me too, _Love_." Melaana sighed as she wrote a return message. She hated the idea of spending a night away from him but, perhaps it would give her time to figure out how she was going to tell him.

"Melaa-aaana!" Mother's sing-song voice called from the hall. "Come quickly, Dear. It's the Lieutenant comming all the way from Coruscant!"

"Oh!" she hopped up, sent Naiva out the window with her message for Bremon and ran for the stairs.

"You look as if you're feeling better." Mother smiled from the stairs. "Now come along, quickly."

She followed her mother down the stairs to the household's main holotable. There in all his blue flickering glory stood her betrothed.

Melaana would have liked to speak to him honestly. She hadn't told him yet about Bremon although she had told Mina and she assumed if Mina had told him about everything else that perhaps he now knew that as well. She wanted to ask him how Mina was feeling, maybe get an idea of when she might expect her own morning sickness to taper off. Although that was probably different for everyone.

None of this would be possible, however. Her parents were standing at the corner of the room just out of the range of the holo image recorder. She hoped for Dane's sake as well as her own that he wouldn't give anything away while they were listening.

"Melaana," he smiled stiffly and gave her a bow.

"Hello Dane." She answered with a look over her shoulder and a sigh. One would think that a holocomm wouldn't need to be chaperoned. Maybe she did need to have that talk with her mother after all. Melaana giggled in spite of herself.

Dane's eyebrow raised, curious, but he only pressed on with the reason for his comm. "I wanted to tell you that _the_ wedding..." not _our_ wedding, _the_ wedding, she noted. "May occur sooner than we had first hoped."

Melaana heard her mother squeal behind her and she gave Dane a wink before she answered. "That's wonderful news! What brought this about?"

She saw him waver for a moment but he had planned for the question.

"The Senator wishes to come home to Onderon." That much must have been the truth. "And she expressed the interest to celebrate the _blessed event_ with my family."

"What an honor..." Melaana began but her mother rushed up behind her.

"Of course we would be happy to add Senator Skelari and the Baron to the guest list. How thoughtful of her to allow you to come home so that the two of you can move up the date!"

The Lieutenant straightened to attention. "I will inform the Senator of your gracious invitation, Lady Rash."

"Oh, what's this Lady Rash business. I think _Mother_ Rash would be appropriate."

It was Melaana's father who saved her. "Now, come along, Dear. Give them a chance to have a private conversation." The patriarch led his wife from the room but the door was still wide open.

Melaana moved closer to the holotable and said in a lower voice. "I am pleased about your wedding."

He seemed to look over her shoulder and then said. "And yours also, am I to understand?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Not long after you left."

"Look, I'm sorry I haven't... I know we need to break this off... officially... let everyone know. I think the media's already got wind that something's going on. They've been following Mina around and she's, ah, starting to show." He grinned.

"She won't be the only one." Melaana mumbled. She would have liked to tell him. Maybe it would give him the extra push he needed to do what had to be done. But Brem really needed to know first.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's just..." She sighed. "You are trying to work out a solution, aren't you?"

"Yes. Of course. And I've got Mina's mind to the problem as well. She's the politician and she's probably got more to lose than either of us."

"Dane, I - I can't keep this up. I want to be with my... husband."

"I will think of something, I swear." This was just as hard for him as it was for her.

She gave him a compassionate smile. "I'll be mulling it over as well."

* * *

Melaana had had no brilliant inspiration by the next morning, except for the idea to have the droid bring her root tea rather than caff. It was the same tea that she had sent along with Mina and she was pleased to discover that it really did help with the nausea. That along with a few plain biscuits had her feeling almost back to normal.

She didn't bother sneaking about. She called to anyone who might be listening as she walked down the steps to the entrance hall. "I'm taking out the cloud hopper." Not that anyone cared. Mother was lost in her holodramas. Dad was in his office. Sanjay and Shara hadn't made an appearance from their chamber yet.

And then she was in the air. Alone. No, not alone. She took one hand off the controls and placed it on her abdomen. "You're going to love flying, Sanya. I'll teach you in a few years. Now, we're going to go find your Daddy. I still don't know how I'm going to tell him about you. He might not be completely thrilled with the idea at first but you mustn't think he doesn't love you. He is going to love you, Sanya. I know he will because..." she gripped the controls again, smiling. "I love you already."

She flew over the clearing. Not really expecting to find anyone there waiting for her, she then continued on toward the Ruping paddock. Frayl as usual met her in the air. He seemed especially glad of her arrival. There was a lot of action going on near the paddock but Frayl was staying away from it.

Melaana set down the cloud hopper at her usual safe distance and Frayl growled to her his complaint.

"What's the matter boy? Are they leaving you out of all the fun?" She pet his snout from her perch in the cockpit and started to climb out but then he began to sniff her. He stepped back allowing her to disembark and gave her what almost looked like a bow.

"What's all this about?" She removed her helmet and set it back in her seat and then hopped to the ground.

The ruping gave her another careful sniff and then gently nudged her toward the paddock. He trumpeted, clearly to announce her presence and to get anyone else, beast or rider, out of the way.

As they got closer Melaana saw Bremon and waved. He started to come her direction with a huge grin on his handsome face but as he did Frayl wrapped a wing around her protectively.

"What? Come on Frayl. Let me go see Brem." She attempted to push the wing back but he only murmured to her and nuzzled her with his snout.

"Frayl," Melaana heard Bremon say from the other side of her protective shield. "She's my mate, not yours."

Frayl was still resistant but Brem managed to push the wing out of the way.

"Is that what he thinks now?" Melaana asked, amused.

"Seems that way." Bremon stole a kiss behind the cover of the wing. "It's nesting season and Frayl doesn't have a mate. The rest of the males have been fighting for the best nesting spots for their mates to begin laying."

"Really?" she asked. She should tell him now. She opened her mouth to do so...

"And then Princess showed up."

Melaana brightened. "Prin is back! I thought she'd chosen a mate from another pod."

"Oh she did. And we don't think she actually wants to lay here. We think her mate already secured her a perfectly good nesting spot somewhere else. She's just reminding everyone here who's boss and making things difficult."

"Anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"Well." Bremon thought. "Prin has always responded well to you. Maybe you could get her to back off just a bit so we could get the others organized." He took her hand and started to lead her toward the paddock but Frayl was having none of it. He insisted on giving Melaana a kind of honor guard.

Bremon shook his head and gave the ruping a shove. Frayl shoved back and knocked him down, wrapping his wing gently around the human girl once again and leading her toward the nesting area.

"Hey!" Bremon yelled, getting up and running after them.

Melaana couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, Frayl, if you're going to be that way about it. How close can you get me to that sister of yours?"

Princess was in deed circling the area, preening, and making it impossible for any other beast to do anything useful. Her belly was more round than the last time Melaana had seen her last, she must be very ready to lay her eggs. Melaana had a feeling she knew why the young mother was not moving on from where she herself had been hatched.

Melaana had never tried it herself but she remembered the call that she had heard Edda use to get the beasts attention. She cupped her hands around her mouth and produced a similar sound. Princess turned to face her and then waddled in the girl's direction.

"Your majesty," Melaana gave the ruping a deep curtsy like the first time they had met. But just as Princess got close Frayl once again put up a protective wing between she and Melaana.

"Frayl! I'm fine." She pushed past him.

He gave a cry that clearly meant he didn't think it was a good idea, but he let her go.

"What's all this about, Prin?" Melaana pet the ruping's snout but then Princess seemed to smell her also and stepped back.

"You know don't you?" Melaana whispered, approaching carefully once more. "You can tell there's something different about me?"

Princess gave her a kind of nod but came forward once again.

"Oh, Prin, then you know I understand. My brother is trying to make my old room into a nursery too." Going carefully she was able to get close enough to pet her old friend and then wrap her arms around Princess's neck in a careful hug. "It's not easy to leave behind what you know and think about raising a family with your new mate. Is he good to you, girl?"

Princess's head bobbed up and down with understanding.

"Then both of us..." Melaana pulled the big creature's head down to look into her emerald eyes. "have to trust that our mate will be a wonderful father and not worry about anything else."

Princess nuzzled the human girl as Bremon walked quietly up beside her. "Your mate?" he whispered. "A father?"

She didn't look at him in the face continuing to pet Princess. "Well, Frayl seems to think I need a proper nesting place."

"Are you certain?" He put an arm around her, protectively, almost exactly the way Frayl had circled her with his wing, but his voice and his hands were shaking.

She nodded and looked up at him, hopeful.

"But... I never expected it would happen this soon?"

She shrugged and tried for a smile. "We've done everything necessary to make it happen."

Suddenly he was no longer holding her and she almost over balanced. He took a step toward the paddock and steadied himself with both hands on the fence. "Do you know when?"

"I think some time in the spring..."

"No I mean," He wiped a hand down his face. "When did it happen?"

"Well after our wedding obviously. You don't think that I..." she thought of what her family would think what everyone would think, that she and Dane had...

"No." Bremon stepped toward her and took her back in his arms in one motion. "No, of course not. I'm sure that it's... mine. That's what worries me. My child... it happened on demon moon."

She didn't speak.

"Am I right?" he pushed for an answer.

"We don't know that for sure."

He started to pull away from her again but she held on. "What does it mater where it happened? It's our baby. Remember we said how it would be to have a sweet little girl like Steela?"

"I... Yes, I know..."

"Our baby, who we will raise, and she will be perfect! We have no reason to think that Sanya will be some sort of..." she turned on her heel and threw up her hands.

"Melaana, I..." he touched her shoulder.

"I love you!" She said looking back at him intently. "And I love Sanya!" Then she pulled away and started marching toward her cloud hopper. "And I'm tired of hiding." She shoved Frayl out of the way as she passed the huge ruping. He whimpered.

"Melaana, wait!" Bremon called after her.

She climbed up to the cockpit. "I'll be at... home." Then she pulled on her helmet and started up the engine. She took to the air and didn't look back.

* * *

Melaana burst in on her family all sitting in the dining room having lunch. "I can't marry Dane because I'm already married to Bremon Kira. I love him and I'm going to have his child."

They sat, stunned, staring at her.

Sanjay spoke first, slowly. "Was that the reason for your hurry to have the wedding?"

"No of course not. It was the date Brem's uncle chose to perform it. We were ready and didn't see any reason to wait."

"What wedding?" Mother shrieked.

"Sanjay and I attended the ceremony." Shara admitted.

Her father sighed with disappointment. "I thought you were going to wait until things were cleared up with Bonteri."

Mother rounded on him. "You knew about this?"

"Well I obviously didn't know she'd gone ahead and done it."

"And you've already managed to get pregnant?" Sanjay grumbled.

Melaana wouldn't have said it if she wasn't so frustrated and emotional, but as it was, she snapped at him, "Yes, it didn't take us 10 months of trying."

Shara gasped, throwing her hands over her mouth and Sanjay went to her side.

"I'm sorry, Shara." Melaana began again. "I didn't mean..."

The harsh call of a ruping just outside the main door startled all of them and a moment later Bremon came skidding into the room. He was disheveled and windblown but he collected himself and delivered a formal bow the likes of which Melaana didn't even think Dane could have managed under the circumstances.

"Mother and Daddy, this is Bremon Kira, my husband."

"My Lord and Lady Rash, I beg your forgiveness." He addressed her father first. "Sir, I should have come to ask your permission to court your daughter as soon as I had set my intention to win her heart."

Father nodded.

"And Ma'am," He turned to face her mother. "I should have asked my uncle to request that our family be considered in formal betrothal negotiations."

"Oh well I'm sure that's all..." Mother began but Father quieted her with a look.

Bremon walked up Melaana scanning her from head to foot as he did so. He seemed to be making sure that she hadn't injured herself in her mad flight. "The fact is that I love your daughter." He took her hands in his and gazed into her eyes. "It nearly broke my heart when I learned of her betrothal because I had already asked her to marry me. She was only trying to obey and do what was right for her family. If there's to be any blame... I only thought that if I didn't take the chance... I'd lose her forever."

A sob from Melaana's mother. What a day for her. It was like a holodrama in her own dining room. "You don't know how happy I am to hear you say it." The woman cried.

Melaana whorled around in shock.

"There've been all sorts of nasty rumors about that Bonteri boy and the Senator he's supposed to be protecting."

"Oh Mother," Melaana turned back to look at her husband grinning. "Don't be too hard on Dane. He loves Mina. It was I who sent him on that mission so they could be together. And- and so that I..."

For once Bremon didn't care who was watching. It was all out in the open now anyway. He pulled Melaana to him and gave her a lingering kiss.

After several seconds her father cleared his throat and though his words were stern there was a smile in his voice. "If you don't mind we were attempting to eat our lunch."

They ended the kiss, foreheads still touching. "Sanya?" he asked, quietly.

She nodded. "If that's alright with you."

"It's beautiful. You're beautiful." He kissed her again.

"Perhaps, Mr. Kira would like to join us for lunch?" Mother invited.

Hand laced with Melaana's, he turned and nodded politely. "Yes, Ma'am, I'd like that very much."


	34. revelation (cont)

chapter was running long and i wrote this after i posted it so... here you go.

* * *

They questioned him about his family and he hardly had a chance to take a bite of the food that was put before him. Melaana was enormously proud of the way her husband stood up to her parents' interrogation. Bremon seemed much more comfortable however when the questions turned to what he did with his time. "I care for the animals!" He smiled.

Melaana could tell her parents were uncomfortable with his responses but the were polite enough to show interest. It was not long into this line of questioning that Shara quietly excused herself. Melaana was still feeling guilty about her treatment of her sister-in-law, and she decided to follow.

As soon as she rose from her chair, Bremon turned to her, concerned.

"I'm fine." she smiled reassuringly at him and whispered. "Just going to check on Shara."

"Hurry back?" He looked a little wary about being left alone with her family.

"Of course." She bent and kissed his cheek.

Melaana found the other young woman on the front steps petting Frayl who'd been left there in Bremon's haste.

"I'm sorry, about what I said earlier," she opened with an apology.

Shara looked up at her. She was smiling a little sadly and then turned her face back to the ruping. "What, about the amount of time Sanjay and I have been... together?"

Melaana nodded. "Yes. I don't know what made me say it."

"Well it was a bit of a shock that you knew." Shara chuckled softly. "More so that you mentioned it. But it didn't really ... bother me."

"You've been trying so long though." Melaana came closer and also began to pet Frayl. "And here Brem and I turn up an Idiot's Array on the first hand."

"Well, like sabacc, it is luck of the draw. And yes, I suppose I would like to give Sanjay an heir... Your mother is completely fixated on the idea."

"Maybe she'll go a little easier on you now since she has a grandchild on the way." Melaana suggested, hopefully.

"Would be nice to get out of this house now and then." Shara grumbled.

"What do you mean? You're not a... prisoner here. You have been allowed to go and see your family, haven't you?"

"I've seen my father." Shara sighed. "When he comes with the fruit delivery. He let me know in no uncertain terms that he feels I've married above my place. That he's left with all the work to do while lay around here in the lap of luxury." She gave a short humorless laugh. "Like he'd think I'd trade the freedom of being out there riding for this gilded cage, if I weren't..."

"In love with Sanjay?"

"I do love Sanjay." Shara agreed. "And I would have married him if he was a slave or a noble or... king of the whole planet."

"Sanjay? King? May we never live to see the day." Melaana made a face and then laughed.

"It is ridiculous, isn't it? But it's not him it's - it's me. They say you can take the beast rider out of the jungle but you can never take the jungle out of the beast rider."

"You miss the animals." Melaana realized.

Shara almost choked on a sob. "Father's been using Sophia as a pack animal."

"Your dalgos? The one you rode at the Fete?"

Shara nodded with tears in her eyes and Frayl nudged her compassionately. "You've been out to see the rupings nesting. Well, the dalgos are coming into season also. If- if Sophia isn't at the barn when the others are put out to stud. She won't have a chance." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Silly isn't it? I'm more worried about my pet getting pregnant than I am about myself."

"I don't think it's silly at all." Melaana interjected. "Princess was back at the paddock and she seemed quite upset that her brothers were turning her old nest as a nursery for their mates."

Shara smiled and said, "Princess has nothing at all to worry about her brother's mate usurping her place in the pod."

"I know." Melaana took her sister-in-law's hand. "We'll find some way to get Sophia to her dance. Brem will help! And I had really better get back to him."

"Yeah you probably shouldn't leave him alone with those three for too long."


	35. keeping the home fires burning

The Siege of Mandalore is beginning and Fox is valiantly staying behind with the infant and the prego.

* * *

She constantly amazed him. He'd seen her blast targets as well as any of his brothers. He'd seen her stand before the Galactic Senate with the poise and grace of a queen. And now pacing, or waddling rather with her big belly, around the apartment, she was no less fascinating.

The fact that she was incubating a human inside her body was... incredible. Fox didn't even mind that it wasn't his. That romantic attraction that had once burned in him toward Soniee had faded completely. He had a wife now and a son, and perhaps someday soon it might be Lagos carrying a little _vod_ for Tracen.

"Can you sense how the Nightowls are doing?" He asked.

Soniee's eyes which had seemed glazed over staring at nothing turned and focused on Fox. "Nightowls?" She gave her head a shake to clear it. "Yes. I think..." She closed her eyes again and then smiled a little sadly. "They're scouting out the ruins of the academy. I don't think there would be any danger if you want to comm her helmet and say hello."

"Oh, well, I wouldn't want to distract her."

Soniee's eyes opened. "No, it should be alright now. I have something I could tell her, as well." She stopped a moment listening. "And Trace is waking up. I'm sure she'd love to hear his voice."

"Alright then I will." Fox grinned.

"I'll get the baby and give him a change. Give you a few minutes." She winked and left the room.

He took a deep breath and activated the comm.

"Hello?" She sounded a little out of breath. "Fox." He could hear her smile curl around his name.

"Hey. How's it going?" That was lame. He wished he could think of something brilliant and romantic to say.

"Alright. We're making some progress. Haven't met with any opposition yet."

"I... " words failed him. "I love you." That was safe to say.

She giggled. "I know."

"You feel any different, after last night?" _Di'kut_. What a thing to ask. He was a ... _di'kutla di'kut_.

She laughed again and it made his heart flip-flop. "Not really. You might ask Soniee, though. She might have sensed something different about me."

"I'll ask her."

"If I'm not... We can keep trying, when I get back."

"Yeah." Fox grinned. "And I'm not going back to Coruscant. I don't care if it's desertion or treason or whatever. I'm staying with you and Trace. My loyalty is to my family." His voice was determined, defiant.

"Oh, Fox..." she crooned.

Just then the door creaked and Tracen babbled as Soniee carried him into the room.

"Was that my boy?" Lagos asked, eagerly.

Soniee passed the baby to his _buir_ smiling and then stepped back.

"That's right." Fox held the wrist comm closer, and Tracen grabbed at it curiously. "Say, 'hi' to Momma."

He treated her to his usual, "bubububu..."

"Aww, _Tr'ika_. Momma misses you. I'll be home soon."

Fox bounced the baby in his arms. "Hear that, _ner ad'ika_? We'll all be together again soon."

Two things happened then. Soniee gave a short gasp at the words and Tracen excited by his mother's voice made a swipe at the comm unit effectively putting an end to the call.

"Hey." Fox laughed at the boy and then noticed Soniee's pale face. "Are you alright?"

"I- I'm fine." She took a few calming breaths.

"Are you sure? Did you sense something?"

"No." She shook her head. "Nothing like that. You just... reminded me of something."

The comm pinged, Lagos reactivating the connection.

"Did that little _gett_ just hang up on me?" she laughed.

"Yeah, he did." Fox chuckled. "Hey, uh, Soniee had somethin' she wanted to tell you." He handed over the commlink.

"What's up, _dalyc'vod_?" The nightowl was noticeably cheered by hearing from her husband and child.

Soniee had to collect herself and remember what she wanted to say. Her following conversation with Lagos was as foreign to Fox as his exchange with is brothers. "Remember fifth period with Professor Gerrik."

"Organic Chemistry? Ugg the headaches I'd get from the fumes in the lab."

"Right. That one experiment..."

"Oxidation or something?"

"Yeah." Soniee's color seemed to be returning while she spoke to her old friend.

Fox was glad. He'd been worried about her there for a moment. Even now her hands and feet looked a little swollen. He was going to make sure she sat and took it easy for a while.

"I'll tell Bo right away. That's a good point." Lagos agreed with whatever it was Soniee had been trying to get across. "Hey. Is Fox still around?"

"Right here, _Cyar'ika_." He piped up.

Soniee started to trade him the commlink for the baby. But he took the device and kept Tracen as well. "Nuh-uh, Mando Girl." He ordered. "Sit! Feet up!"

She gave him an annoyed glare but did as directed. "Yes, Sir, _Al'verde_."

"That's right. Keep her in line." Lagos laughed from the comm while Fox stepped back into the bedroom to finish their conversation in private.

"Alright." He said. "She can probably sense everything we're saying anyway but at least it feels a little more _solus bah solus_."

"Good." Said Lagos, more seriously. "How's she holding up?"

"Hasn't been too much action yet." He told her. "She really saved Epsilon this morning, though. They would've been toast if she hadn't warned them in time of that ambush."

"I'm glad she has a way to be part of things. It would have been really hard on her just to sit around and do nothing. How is she physically?"

"Hands and feet are a little swollen. That's why I had her sit, and... she went sort of pale a while ago." He wanted to give as many details as possible in case anything was wrong.

"Hmm... having her put her feet up was good. Was she sensing something when she went pale?" Lagos's first thought was the same as his had been.

"She said, 'no'." Fox cycled back through his perfect recall to what had been happening at that exact moment. "I had just said, 'Hear that, _ner ad'ika_? We'll all be together again soon.' Then she sort of gasped. And she said I'd reminded her of something."

"Kriff." Lagos swore, softly. "Bo said that's what Maul called her, _ner ad'ika_. The _chakaar_ tried to adopt her." She told him in a whisper. "Can you imagine, after blowing up her _buir_?

"I guess that would explain it."

"Maybe have her give Korkie a comm if he's not in the middle of things."

"Yeah." Fox smiled at Tracen who was looking back and forth between his _buir_ and the commlink from which his mother's voice was emanating. "I'll do that. Do you have something else to say _Tr'ika_?"

The baby stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry.

Fox laughed. "Has he always been able to do that or is it a new trick?"

Lagos laughed also. "I think that was just for you." She sighed. "I love you both."

"And we love you too."

"Oh and if you are at all worried about Soniee's health, comm Doctor Gilamar right away. He's with Korkie's group of protectors but I know they'll both be there in a heartbeat if she needs them."

"Yeah. They told me, but thanks for the reminder."

As always when they spoke Lagos seemed reluctant to end the comm. "We're probably going to dig in here for tonight and push forward tomorrow morning. Maybe I'll get the chance to comm again later."

"Can hardly wait." he said also dreading goodbye even if it was for a short time.

"'Til then." She said quickly with a hitch in her voice and then disconnected.

"Baba baba." Tracen waved at the commlink.

"That's right, _Tr'ika_." Fox pulled the boy close and kissed the top of his fuzzy blond head. "Let's go see if Auntie Soniee wants to comm Uncle Korkie."

When they returned to the living room however Soniee's eyes were shut. She was sitting but on the very edge of the seat and her feet were on the floor. Her hands were raised almost like a conductor leading an orchestra.

Fox didn't want to disturb her but he had been charged with her wellbeing and the baby's.

"Here _Ad_. See what your blocks are up to." He set Tracen on the floor next to his toys. Thankfully he had reached the stage of sitting up on his own but he hadn't yet started crawling.

Then Fox carefully scooted Soniee back to rest against the couch cushions and slipped an ottoman under her feet. She didn't even seem to have noticed. He kept an eye on her while he went to play with Trace.

Twice Fox got up and made sure that she was still breathing. He remembered Lagos telling him about after the destruction of Concord Dawn when Soniee was unreachable for days. He wondered if it was something like this. He debated with himself about comming for help.

Tracen grew bored with his toys so Fox pulled up a holo that Lagos had told him might hold the baby's interest. The program featured a purple mythosaur who sang songs about sharing and picking up toys. It was singularly dreadful but it captivated both Fox and Tracen's attention like a hovertram wreck until the last note of the final hideous song.

"Your mother lets you watch this stuff?" Fox shook himself out of his stupor after it was over.

Tracen was sucking on his fist and beginning to whine.

"Hungry, aren't you? Me too." He scooped up the little boy and checked on Soniee once more. "Bet she'll be hungry to when she finally comes out of that. We'll make enough for Auntie, too. What do you say?"

Tracen blew another raspberry.

Fox laughed. "Alright _ad'ika_ we'll get you fed first."

It was while he was fixing Tracen's bottle one handed, the baby was now working himself up into a full tantrum and wouldn't be put down, that Soniee suddenly woke from her trance with a scream and then burst into tears.

"I - I couldn't save them! I tried. It happened to fast! Another ambush. Didn't see it coming this time!"

Fox set the baby down on the floor by his blocks and rushed to Soniee's side. Tracen was screaming to be picked back up, and the reheater was beeping that it was finished with it's count down, but they would have to wait.

"Who - who was it? Who couldn't you save? What happened?" It was part of war. Fox knew that. He'd lived with it every day of his existence. Solders gave their lives but it all seemed much more personal when his wife was out there.

"It - it was." Soniee was just beginning to regain focus. She looked at him. "It was Tac and Fours."

Relief flooded him. It wasn't Lagos and it wasn't Korkie. They were just two ordinary troopers and this is what they were created for. And then the realization of this line of thinking nearly made him want to be sick. They weren't just troopers, they were brothers, and Soniee had felt them die.

Fox wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't say that it was okay or even that it was going to be. It wasn't okay at all. "It's not your fault. You are doing everything you can and I am so proud of you."

She clung to him for several minutes while the baby cried and the reheater beeped. And then she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "We should feed Tracen."

"You going to be alright?" he asked before he left her side.

She nodded.

He picked up Tracen on his way back to the kitchen to get the bottle and then had a moment of panic when he turned and saw that Soniee was no longer sitting on the couch. She had just gone to the 'fresher. He could hear the water running and then he heard her retching. He knocked on the door worried, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah." She called back. "Knew my luck couldn't hold forever. Never had morning sickness. Now it hits me."

There was a flush and the water continued to run for a couple more minutes while she presumably cleaned herself up. When she came back out into the living room she still seemed a bit shaky but some of the light was back in her eyes and she gave Fox a small smile. "I'm okay, really, and odd as it sounds food would be good now. Maybe just some bread or fruit or something."

"Anything you want." Fox thanked the Force she was okay and handed the bottle to Tracen who took it in his own little hands and sucked on it greedily. He pulled out a selection of foods that would be easy on her stomach from the cabinets and conservator and offered them to her along with a few things for himself. Then he sat across the table from her and they ate with only the sound of Tracen gulping down his blue milk.

Fox broke the silence after swallowing a huge mouthful of his sandwich. "Maybe you could give Korkie a comm after you're done eating, if he's in a place where he can receive them."

She closed her eyes a moment while she was still chewing. She must have been searching for him in the Force. Then she nodded. "Yeah, I think I'll do that. He doesn't seem to be in any danger that I'll be distracting him from right now."

Fox pushed the commlink across the table to her.

"Thanks."

He and Tracen finished their meal and cleaned up and went back to playing with toys while they waited. When Soniee came back her smile was much brighter.

"Looks like that did you some good." Fox led her back to the couch and made sure she put her feet back up on the ottoman.

"Good to hear his voice and know he's okay." She rested her hands on her belly and after a moment gave a little jolt, eyes widening in surprise and amusement. "Well somebody's awake."

"You mean, Oron?" Fox asked.

"Yeah, come here!" she smiled.

He came rather hesitantly looking back to make sure Trace was okay on the floor with his toys before he sat on the couch next to her. She took his hand and put it on her stomach and it wasn't long at all before he felt the strange ripple of movement. She raised her eyebrows in question and he couldn't help but grin.

"He's really inside there." Fox said, amazed.

"Mmm hmm." She smiled and then the expression seemed to melt away. "Something, happening, need to..." She was fading back into the meditative trance.

Fox wished he could stop her, keep talking to her. There was the possibility however that Lagos needed her. He couldn't distract her from her mission. He left his hand on her belly for a while longer. He supposed it hadn't truly been real to him before he felt it for himself. There really was a human being growing inside her.

Tracen fussed. It was time for a change and a bath and that bedtime routine that Lagos had explained to him.


	36. best intentions

Melaana's a little bypolar in this one. i blame the hormones or maybe Sanya/Soniee's midichlorians.  
and also Satine and Soniee have both dealt with the ever present hologossip networks, it was about time for them to catch up with the daughter of the most noble house of Rash.

* * *

Melaana practically skipped back into the dining room. She'd had, what she thought, was a marvelous idea and she was going to see about enacting it as soon as possible.

"Mother, Daddy!" She didn't realize that she had just interrupted Bremon's discourse on ruping husbandry but her parents didn't seem to mind the distraction.

"What is it, Dear?" her father asked.

She went to stand next to Bremon's chair and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I was just talking to Shara, and I was wondering if we had presented her family with a gift after her wedding to Sanjay."

"Well," Father began. "It is generally the bride's family who brings the dowry to the negotiation table. Under the circumstances we didn't really feel it was necessary to..."

Mother interrupted him, frowning at Bremon. "Speaking of which, I suppose we shall need to discuss arrangements with your uncle. He is the head of the house of Kira I presume?"

"I don't think my Uncle Naidon expected..." He started to answer.

"Of course," Melaana spoke up again frustrated that she wasn't getting her point across. "But what about Shara? You see, she helped in the family business and when she came to live here it left all of the work to her father. I was thinking if we could give them a repulsor truck or - or a droid who could help with the work load..."

"I gave Shara a necklace." Sanjay frowned, a little concerned now that it had been the wrong thing.

Melaana sighed. "What in the galaxy's use is a necklace?"

"But really Melaana." Mother tutted. "A repulsor truck?"

Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, or maybe she was just fed up with how clueless her family could be. "Dane gave me a fracking star ship!"

"Language Melaana!" Mother exclaimed in shock.

Father shook his head. "And you will of course be returning your betrothal gift as the agreement has been breached on both sides and will now have to be rescinded."

"What?!" This wasn't turning out at all like she thought it would. "But I'm sure Dane never meant my ship to be..."

Mother looked as if she might faint. "His note said, 'in lieu of a ring'."

"It also said, that _whatever_ happened I should reach for the stars." How could she make them see? This conversation was supposed to be about Shara mending the rift with her father.

"Well, I should think," Father went on. "That in your present condition, your mother and I and your husband, would prefer that you keep your feet on the ground, where we can make sure that you and the child receive the very best of care."

She didn't want to hear this. She threw a glare at Bremon.

"I-I never said..." He raised his hands defensively. "B-but they do have a point."

"Now you're taking their side!" Melaana growled and stormed out of the room. She heard Bremon's chair scrape back against the floor and his hasty apology to her parents and then he was right on her heels.

"Mel, please, listen!" He called.

She kept walking, yelling back over her shoulder. "Edda didn't let being a week away from her due date stop her from going to the Fete but maybe you don't think I'm as strong as she is! Grew up in this palace with everybody doing everything for me! Still need to be coddled!"

He caught up to her with his longer stride, put his hands on her shoulders. Then he said softly. "I don't think that at all. You're the strongest person I know."

She stood, still trembling slightly in her anger. "Well, then, what did you mean back there?"

"Only that... that ship... a gift from another man."

She turned to look at him. "Brem, you think that means anything to me? If anything it's special to be because it's where you and I... " Tears in her eyes but a shy smile on her lips. "It's where we made Sanya."

He kissed her and then pulled her into a tight hug. "It's still not real to me, the idea that you would want to carry... that you _are_ carrying my child."

"Of course I want to. I never imagined that it would happen so soon. I thought we might have a little more time... just the two of us." She smiled. "Before we're three. But I can't think of anything that I'd ever want more. Even a star ship. It's - it's the best gift you could give me."

He pushed her out to arms length and looked her over. Then, with an expression that hesitantly begged her permission, he put his hand on her lower abdomen. "It's really in there?"

She nodded. "Mother got a midwife droid for when Shara needs it and it scanned me and..."

"In the spring, you said?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Then... we'll be able to take her to her first Fete next Summer!"

"Yes!" Melaana grinned, so happy that he was getting excited about the idea.

But then he clouded over again. "We can wait a while till we tell Uncle Nadd. He'll find out anyway, somehow."

"We don't have to worry about that now." She told him trying to bring back his smile. "Not today. I'd kind of like to tell Edda and Geb, though."

The corner of his mouth turned up. "They will be happy for us, won't they."

"I'm sure they will." She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "And I've just got to get out of that house."

He took her hand and they began the walk through the city toward the Gerrera home.

"So I've met your parents now and they didn't throw me out or anything."

She grinned. "I knew they'd love you."

"And that was a nice thing you tried to do for Shara."

Melaana sighed. "I hope it makes a difference. I didn't realize how locked up she felt. They're building a new wing of the house, and remodeling everything, and the new med droid. It's nice and all, but it's not her style at all, is it."

"Not really, no."

"It'd be better to use the space for..." She screwed up her expression, thinking. "... a garden or a yard where she could keep a few pets."

"You should suggest that. They'll listen to you." He nudged her gently. "but you might have to compromise."

"Give up my ship, you mean." She sobered a little.

"It's not to say you'll never be able to fly again. You'll still have the cloud hopper and the rupings and..." he cleared his throat. "What they said about staying on the ground and having the best care for you... and Sanya..."

She surprised him then. "I'll do it, if you think it will be best."

He stopped walking and gave her a 'who are you and what have you done with my wife?' look.

"What?" she laughed. "I trust you. You take care of your creatures. I have no doubt that you want to do what's best for me and our baby."

With a smile he pulled her close and kissed her deeply.

It was not a kiss that Melaana wanted to be distracted from by the odd buzzing sound that began to zip around the two of them like an annoying insect. She lifted her hand from his shoulder and absently swatted in the direction of the sound before she turned to see what it was and found herself staring into the single eye of a hovering camdroid. "Frak."

Bremon laughed. "Well it was good but I didn't think..." He turned at that moment and noticed not only the holorecorder filming them but also the smiling twi'lek with the datapad and stylus at the ready.

"Sark Ueson'nigol, H.E.N. You are Miss Melaana Rash I presume, betrothed of a certain Lieutenant Dane Bonteri of Iziz who is currently on assignment guarding the Galactic Senator, Mina Skelari?"

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken." Bremon took her by the elbow and began to lead her through the marketplace trying to get lost in the crowd.

Thanks to his quick thinking, they left the reporter behind, with a jog behind a stall and down an alleyway, but the droid stayed right on their tail.

Melaana started giggling as they ran and was soon out of breath. She had to ask to stop. "We shouldn't have run it only makes us look guilty. Oh, Mother's going to love this!"

He wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic or not.

"Might as well give them something to report. Nobody believes all that trash on the gossip nets anyway." She boldly faced the hovering cambot, waved and said, "Hello, Dane. Give Mina my love." Then for good measure she blew it a kiss.

She turned, took Bremon's hand and continued their walk at a slow steady pace, not once looking back to see if they were being followed. They made it the rest of the way to the Gerrera's with no further interruption.


	37. home fires

The last chapter about Fox and Soniee was mostly from his point of view so this digs a little more into what she's dealing with while the two of them are alone together in Enceri.

* * *

The battle played out before her mind's eye. Shadow Collective, in their red and black Mando armor, were a disgrace to everything Momma Ordo had ever taught her, bowing to their _aruetii_ lord. Bo-Katan's Night Owls, in blue and silver _beskar'gam_ fought bravely against them even though some of them had been on the same side a few months ago.

Soniee saw the explosion and the flying shrapnel and both of the Night Owls who were in the path of the projectiles. She could only manage to save one. She chose her friend. Did the other soldier have a husband and a son to go home to? Soniee didn't know. Was it her right to make that choice? She didn't know. But she had done it. She threw up a barrier that could stretch no further than Lagos and she let the other woman die. She felt that woman die and she screamed as she roused again from the meditative trance.

She registered another cry over the pounding in her own head. She knew what that was. Her scream had woken the baby who Fox had just managed to get to sleep.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Soniee rubbed at the stabbing pain above her right eye. The headache was nearly blinding and made her want to throw up but she was sorry that she had undone all the work Fox had accomplished calming the infant who had done nothing but cry for his mother for the past hour.

"What's wrong?" He hurried out of the bedroom with the crying baby in his arms. Her scream had obviously also shaken him, too. Fox searched her face, dreading the possibilities of what she may have seen.

She couldn't meet his gaze but she said softly. "It wasn't Lagos... another Night Owl... explosion." Soniee sprinted for the 'fresher making it just in time to heave the meager contents of her stomach into the toilet. She sat on the floor. The pain in her head eased a bit but it was still throbbing.

"Are you okay?" Fox asked as she re-emerged from the 'fresher after cleaning up.

She sat back on the couch and looked at her shaking hands. They did look swollen, he was right, but she said, "Just a headache."

"Gonna get you a hypo for the pain." He announced, headed for the med cabinet. Doctor Gilamar had left behind instructions for how much was okay for her to take if for some reason she needed it.

"Probably should save those for our troops when they get back." She tried to make light of it.

Fox would brook no argument. He set down Tracen, pushed back Soniee's sleeve, and injected the medication. "Our troops need you in fighting form so they can get back."

She knew he was right and she was thankful as the stim started to take effect. "I'm sorry I woke him," she took Tracen's hand in hers as Fox sat down next to her on the couch with the baby. Little fingers curled around one of her own swollen digits.

Trace was calming down but his whimpering and lingering hiccups tugged at her heart. How could she have not saved his mother?

"Come here, _ad'ika_." Soniee reached for him and he came to her and cuddled against her chest. "Maybe your _buir_ will read us a story."

"Umm..." Fox searched around but the only thing close was a datapad. "Don't suppose he'd mind if it's not one of his picture holos. I'll I've got on here is _Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care_."

"Sounds good to me and I think just hearing your voice will help this little guy." She said softly.

The baby already had his fist in his mouth again and his eyelids were getting heavy.

So Fox began to read and Soniee kept half her mind on that and the rest of her consciousness on the battles going on in Sundari.

* * *

"I saw this." Soniee whispered eyes still closed.

Fox had assumed she was asleep and it startled him when she spoke. "What's that?" he asked.

"You and I together, holding a baby." she answered wearily. "Back when I was on Coruscant. I assumed it meant that you and I would end up together. I thought I was being disloyal to Korkie. I could have never guessed..." She attempted to move Tracen to a more comfortable position. Oron was pressing on her spine making her sciatic nerve ache.

"I can go put him in his bed." Fox offered and she could tell from his voice that he was smiling.

She shook her head and then laid it back on his shoulder. "If he wakes I'm afraid we'll never get him back to sleep."

"'Try to sleep when they sleep'. Isn't that what the holo said?"

"I appreciate your reading aloud to me." The parenting holo held a lot of great information for both of them.

"I can pick up where I left off if you want me to."

"No, thanks." She snuggled back against him as Oron rolled over easing the pain shooting down her leg. "You're right. We should both get some sleep while Trace is out and things are quiet in the capitol."

Fox was silent for a few minutes. Maybe he thought she had gone back to sleep before he whispered, "I saw this, too."

"Hmm?"

"You and I, holding a baby. It's what you... projected to me..."

Soniee was stunned. "I - I had no idea."

"Somehow I knew though," He continued. "I knew it wasn't ours. Maybe it was his blond little head." She could hear the smile in his voice as he gently smoothed the downy fuz on Tracen's head with his hand. "I wanted it to be, back then. Now though... I'm glad. I think things worked out for the best."

"It made Korkie pretty happy that you and Lagos said your vows before he left me in your care." Then whether it was to be perfectly clear where her loyalty lay or just because it was true she said, "I miss him."

"It's the first night you've been apart since Coruscant?" Fox guessed.

"Since my graduation, actually." She remembered.

"Your graduation?" Then he realized. "You and he argued. He was jealous of the way you and Lux..."

"No, Korkie was never jealous of Lux. He knew it was never Lux I had feelings for..."

They were both silent again as the meaning of that sunk in.

"Do you remember," she continued after a while. "What role I told you I needed filled when we first met?"

Of course he remembered. He had perfect recall. " _Ori'vod,_ to stand in for the big brother you lost."

"You've fulfilled that duty in more ways then one. Of course you could never... replace Amis, but... well, you were wrong."

"Wrong?" he asked.

She turned her head enough to look up at him. "When you said the baby in the vision wasn't ours. Well, Trace is obviously not mine, but he is yours, now."

He smiled. "Funny isn't it, that it was Lagos's comm to tell you about him that stopped us from..."

"It was, wasn't it. I hadn't thought of that. Your son kept us from making a terrible mistake." She mused.

"So I guess we have him to thank." Fox stroked the boy's head again. "Now I've got him and Lagos and you've got Korkie and Oron on the way. And you're going to be a great _buir_ , Soniee. I may not have the Force but I can see that."

"I hope so."


	38. and now everybody knows

Mel and Brem continuing to share their good news.

* * *

"You tell them."

"No, you can tell them. Unless you want me to tell them."

"I could tell them or you..."

"Would one of you tell us already!" Edda cried, exasperated by the couple standing before them.

Bremon and Melaana looked at each other and then they both spoke at once. "She's," "We're going to," "Pregnant." "Have a baby!"

Edda and Geb stared at them and didn't say a word.

Melaana was a little worried they hadn't heard correctly. She glanced at Bremon. She knew her husband was desperate for someone else to be excited about this, to tell him that it was going to be alright.

"That was fast." Edda finally remarked.

"Well, we weren't trying." Melaana explained. "But we weren't preventing anything either..."

Geb suddenly burst out with his deep booming laugh. He was holding little Steela and in an obviously teasing fashion he drew her back a little tighter and said. "You'd better keep your son away from my baby girl."

Bremon froze and Melaana knew it was the insinuation, even joking, that their child would be an aggressive male. She took Bremon's hand in hers and threw back. "Maybe you need to keep your boy away from our daughter."

Bremon started breathing again before he smiled gratefully at her. "Actually, we might want to go ahead start the betrothal process before your mother gets any ideas about setting her up with the new Bonteri heir."

"Speaking of which," Edda smiled at them both, shaking her head. "Aren't you still betrothed to Lieutenant Bonteri?"

Melaana giggled. "I won't be for much longer. Now that Mother and Daddy have met Bremon..."

"And invited me to lunch." Bremon added.

"And told me I have to return my betrothal gift." Melaana pouted.

"What do you need with a ship when we've got Frayl?" Bremon reminded her.

It was then that Saw, who couldn't understand all of what was being said by the adults but he was trying to keep up, tugged on Melaana's skirt.

She looked down at him, smiling. "Yes?"

"If I'm betroved, can I have a ship?"

Bremon swooped up the child and flew him around the room. "Only if you promise to take the very best care of my baby girl."

Saw spread out his arms like wings and squealed. "Faster, Uncle Brem!"

Edda pulled Melaana aside and whispered, "When are you going to tell Naidon?"

"We'll wait as long as possible but I'm sure he'll find out some how." Melaana sighed. "My mother already mentioned something about discussing a dowry with him."

"That's not going to be an easy discussion for Brem."

Melaana watched her husband with the little boy and thought of what a wonderful a father he was going to be. "I know."

* * *

The altercation came sooner than they could have expected much less prepared for. Bremon knew he had to get back to the rupings but he wanted to see Melaana safely home first. They stood at the foot of the grand staircase saying their, "goodbye for now"s, and "see you later"s, and "I'll miss you"s, with very few words and mostly lips pressed together. That is until Melaana overheard her mother's laugh from the lounge and then Bremon heard a much lower voice chuckle, "Well it's not really fortune telling."

Melaana and Bremon moved closer to the doorway of the lounge and listened curiously.

"But you do occasionally have visions of things that are yet to come?" Mother twittered girlishly.

Naidon Kira answered her humbly. "I have once or twice been gifted with a brief glimpse of events beyond the here and now."

"Then," Mother's voice was breathy with excitement. "Could you tell if this current embarrassment will be the end of us or if - if the House of Rash will continue to rise in society?"

"My dear, I'm sure he doesn't..." Father interjected.

"Lady Rash," Uncle Nadd answered in his most ethereal tone. "When I look to the future of your noble family, I see a crown."

Bremon rolled his eyes and entered the room with Melaana only half a step behind him. "Uncle."

"Bremon!" The man turned to face them his smile jubilant. "And your beautiful bride." His gaze traveled over her as if he were scanning. "And is it true? Am I soon to be a Grand-uncle?"

"Well you're the one who can glimpse events beyond the here and now." Bremon clenched his teeth.

Mother rushed over and took Melaana's arm leading her over to a place to sit. "Isn't it exciting, Mr. Kira? The first joint heir of our families!" She bustled around making sure her daughter had a pillow behind her back and a place to put up her feet.

Melaana scowled. "Mother I..."

"We will make sure, of course, that she has the best of care." Lady Rash went on. "I've already purchased a midwife droid who will be constantly monitoring her condition."

"There are a few tests..." Uncle Nadd came to hover over Melaana along with her mother. "To asses the... er... health of the child."

Mother's hand went to her heart with worry. "Are there any genetic conditions in the family that we should be aware of?"

"Oh no, nothing to concern you, Madam." Nadd hurried to reassure her.

Bremon stormed across the room and took Melaana's hand, pulling her to her feet. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of my wife and child. Come on."

Mother gasped. "You're not planning on taking her away from her home and family?"

Bremon gave the woman a polite nod. "You'll excuse me, My Lady, but Melaana is my wife. I am her family and her home is with me."

"Brem..." Melaana smiled at him proudly, she would follow him anywhere.

Hand in hand they walked out to the front steps and Bremon whistled for the ruping.

Frayl flapped down in front of them, and Bremon started to help Melaana to mount.

"You're not planing on letting my pregnant daughter ride on that thing!" Lady Rash shrieked.

Melaana petted the ruping's back between his wings. "Mother, Frayl would never let any harm come to me and neither would Bremon."

Her husband climbed up into the saddle behind her. "I assure you, their safety is my primary concern." He shook the reigns and yelled, "Yah!" And Frayl took to the air.

Bremon didn't direct the ruping in any particular direction, he just held tight to Melaana and flew. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't let him get to me. He's just been doing this my whole life, forcing me down a path that he thinks I need to follow."

"I know, _My Love_. My mother is the same, but it will all work out."

"You know the tests he wants to do. He wants to know if our child..."

Melaana leaned back against him and patted his hand. "He wants to know if our baby will wield the Force. Well, if she will or she won't, she will still be our perfect Sanya and that's all there is to it." She felt him relax behind her.

"You're right, of course. I'm sorry," he said again.

"You've no reason to be sorry, Brem. I'm proud of you."

"Are you really?" he asked, disbelieving.

"Yes, and I'm proud to be your wife and proud to have your baby."

He kissed her shoulder and she could hear the amused smile in his voice. "Would you care to tell that to the hovercam that's following us?"

She grinned and shouted to the wind, "I Love Bremon Kira and I'm Going To Have His Baby!"


	39. Mandalore burned

Title from the opening line of the Ahsoka novel.

* * *

Fox dozed fitfully, something he'd learned to do in battle situations. He knew he needed both rest and to be on alert in case either of his charges needed him. Soniee at least seemed to be getting some much needed sleep and Tracen was snuggled comfortably in her arms. He still didn't like the look of the swelling in her hands and feet and now, even with keeping her feet up and staying hydrated, her face seemed a bit puffier than normal.

It was time to comm Dr. Gilamar with his worries. He couldn't wait any longer. But first he grabbed his helmet and used its sensors to check her vitals. It was exactly what he'd been afraid of.

"Mij, here." the Doctor answered the comm almost immediately. "What's wrong?" He knew Fox wouldn't have risked interrupting him during a battle unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Sir, it's Soniee. She's... well if any of the symptoms were on their own they might be completely normal but all together..."

"What are the symptoms?" Mij asked calmly.

"I noticed the swelling first, in her hands and feet. I had her sit, put her feet up, but it didn't seem to help and now her face seems to be swelling also."

"and..."

Fox continued. "Nausea, vomiting, and a headache. I gave her the pain stym, seemed to help, but then she was acting like it came back, didn't want to worry me but I could tell, and she's acting like her vision's gone blurry, blinking, rubbing her eyes. Sir, I don't want to speculate but all together... it looks like toxemia."

"You checked her blood pressure?" the doctor asked.

"I don't know what she was running before I got here, but when I checked it just now, it seemed... higher than it should be for somebody her size..." Fox transfered the data that he had collected from the scan.

Mij was quiet for a few seconds and Fox thought he could hear the sounds of fighting taking place in the background of the comm.

"You were right to contact me." The doctor said, finally. "I want to take a look at her myself. Sounds like you're doing everything you can, though. Keep her off her feet, lying on her left side if possible, and monitor her fluid input and output if you can manage it. If she is preeclamptic that's the best thing to do for now."

Fox tried to hold down the panic at hearing the doctor say the words he had feared.

"I'm sending a prescript for Hydralazine, if her blood pressure spikes higher than what it is, you give her a dose of that."

"Yes, Sir."

"I'm going to extract Korkie and we'll get over there as soon as we can. Mij, out."

Fox took Tracen to his crib and resettled Soniee onto her side so that she would be more comfortable. Then he paced and prayed.

* * *

The dream felt so close this time, so real, and when she woke it was to a sharp pain just under her ribs on the right side. Soniee tried to sit up but she felt so dizzy. She looked around and then squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. Why couldn't she see properly? "Fox?"

He was at her side in a moment. "Lay back down, Son'ika. Everything's going to be fine."

She rubbed at her forehead, while he lowered her back to to her side on the couch. "Fox, something's wrong. Korkie and Doctor..." She fought back a wave of nausea. "They're leaving Sundari. Why? Korkie's not? He's not been injured. I would know."

"They're coming here. They'll be here soon."

"Is the battle over? No. No it's not... Burning... Bo-Katan and Ahsoka. They've almost got him. They're going to trap Maul. Ahsoka is..." She cried out as the pain in her head and her abdomen clouded her force vision.

"Just be still now." Fox's voice was saying somewhere near by. She felt a stick in her arm. He was giving her some kind of hypo meds. "Korkie and the doctor will be here soon. Everything is going to be fine."

Her own body hurt too much, it was rebelling against her, against Oron. Her mind, unable to deal with the internal struggle, went to one of the plazas in Sundari that wasn't burning yet. Maul was there and Ahsoka was there to meet him, seemingly alone. But Ahsoka wasn't alone. She had a plan, she had Rex ready to spring the trap, and she had Soniee willing Maul to take one step and then another till he was just in the right spot... They would have him. This would all be over.

"Soniee!" Korkie burst through the front door and rushed to her side. With the swelling, he could almost not recognize his own wife.

"Korkie?" she squinted at him unseeing and then just as Doctor Gilamar entered the apartment, the first seizure wracked her body.

"Commander, we need to get her to my surgery!" The Doctor ordered.

"Yes, Sir!" Fox stooped and lifted her, carefully into his arms .

Korkie could only look on, trembling. "Kriff!" He had never been more afraid in his life. "Manda! Force save her!"

Fox looked back. "Doc. Tracen's still..."

"It's okay. I'm here." Lagos entered and went right to Korkie. She waved the other two out the door. "Go!"

Mij rushed out to make the necessary preparations and Fox hurried behind him with the precious cargo. He felt Soniee go slack in his arms as the seizure loosed her from its grip.

"It's all my fault..." Korkie cried. "She never wanted any of this. She was so scared. It's all my fault!"

"This is not your fault. It is no one's fault." Lagos tried to reason with him. "Mij is taking care of her now. Fox got him here in time."

"No! She saw this! She knew it would happen! She never wanted kids!" Korkie was inconsolable. "It's my fault! I'm the one who wanted... and now... Manda! She's dying!"

"Korkie!" Lagos took him by the shoulders and shook him. "She is not dying! Mij will..."

He shook her off. "If anything happens to her, I will never forgive myself."

"Korkie!" She couldn't go after him as he hurried to follow the two other men and his wife to the doctor's office. Someone had to stay with the baby.

Tracen fussed making his presence known.

Lagos sighed. "Coming, Tr'ika. Momma's home."


	40. survivor's guilt

Please be warned that this chapter contains the very sensitive topic of infant loss. Fourteen years ago I suffered an early miscarriage and it was hard, but it was nothing to having to hold a child in your arms and say goodbye. That I have never experienced, but I have, like Lagos, stood beside a friend while holding my own healthy child in my arms, and watched their lives crumble around them. To have no words and only be able to wonder, why them and not me, is heartbreaking.

This chapter is dedicated to Ash and Steve and their little Katie-Belle who is in heaven, and to Micah and Jordan and their little miracle Judson who is thriving.

If you have gone through this and you need to skip over the chapter please know that my heart goes out to you.  
 _Ni partayli, gar darasuum_. I remember you, so you are eternal.

* * *

Korkie once told her what it felt like for him when Soniee reached out to him in the Force. Well, he tried to explain it anyway. Lagos had never felt it herself. Though she knew that her former roommate had sought out her presence when she was away on Coruscant. Soniee had even known Lagos was pregnant before she knew herself.

It still weirded her out a bit that Soniee Ordo had that kind of power. Soniee Kryze, that is, Lagos was particularly proud of that bit of matchmaking. She had always known that her two friends were made for each other. It just took a little push in the right direction. No mystic Force required.

Lagos remembered when she had first learned that her roommate possessed such a gift. She had been horrified. She felt violated, by this person she thought she had known for years suddenly coming out as _jetii_. But she did know Soniee and Soniee didn't pry into people's private thoughts or try to influence their actions, even if she was born with an excess of midi-chlorians.

This battle meditation was something else altogether. Lagos had listened in a little on the holo Ahsoka had given to Soniee to study. She didn't pretend to understand it. It wasn't until that explosion went off, Lagos was sure she was a goner. She had thrown up her hands in front of her face but the impact had never come, not the debris from the blast anyway. A fraction of a second later her _beskar'gam_ was splattered with the remains of the soldier who a moment before had been charging next to her.

Somehow Lagos knew that Soniee had something to do with her near escape. She was thankful to be alive, to have the chance to come home to her son and her new husband. She couldn't help but wonder about that other woman. Was she any more worthy to go on living?

"Hey, _Tr'ika_. Did you miss Momma?" She lifted Tracen from his crib. His smile and squeal of delight was all the assurance she needed. And yet even with his joy, or maybe because of it, she began to cry. She held him closer. "I missed you so much."

Soniee deserved this too. It was what Lagos wanted more than anything for her friend. " _Manda_ , preserve her and Oron!"

She couldn't believe how short a time ago all she has been thinking about was asking Soniee if she sensed that Lagos herself might be expecting again. It seemed so insensitive now. Other than a little morning sickness, her pregnancy and delivery with Tracen had been a dream. She couldn't wait to give Fox a child of his own and Trace a _vod'ika_.

It should have been perfect Soniee and Korkie with their baby and she and Fox with their little family. It wasn't supposed to be like this, with Soniee fighting for her life and Oron in danger as well.

Her commlink chimed and she fumbled to answer it. "Fox?"

"Yeah. _Cyar'ika_ , you okay?" Her husband's voice was full of concern.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. How's Soniee?"

"Doc Gilamar says he's got to deliver the baby now."

Lagos gasped. "Now! But it's too early!"

"Soniee keeps seizing. He thinks she's had a stroke. The only way to save her is to have the baby now. Look, I've got to get back. He needs me to assist."

"Of course. Fox!" She stopped him before he could end the comm. "I love you!"

"I love you, too. I'm so glad you're back safe."

The comm clicked off.

"Bu Bu!" Tracen reached for the commlink.

"Yes, that was your _buir_." Without thinking Lagos let him take it and then realized only just in time before he shoved the device in his mouth. "No, _Tr'ika_!"

The baby squalled at the lost opportunity.

"I'm sorry _ad'ika_. Let's get you something you can eat." She knew nursing him would be just as much as a relief to her as it would be for him.

Would Soniee be able to feed Oron when he was born? Would a baby that tiny be able to eat on his own? Perhaps he have to be fed by some other method.

As her milk let down and Tracen began to drink his fill, Lagos relaxed. She hadn't realized how tired she was after days of fighting.

She didn't remember falling asleep but when the comm chimed again she was instantly wide awake. "Yes?"

Tracen stirred in her arms but didn't wake.

"Lagos. It's - it's Korkie." His voice was dull and drained.

" _Manda_. Korkie is everything okay?"

"No… ah…" his voice broke and gave way to a sob. "No. We uh… we lost Oron. It was a placental abruption, the doc said. He - he was stillborn."

Lagos had no words. She could only listen in dismay while on the other end of the connection her friend's heart shattered.

"He was so tiny. _Manda_ , Lagos, I could, I could hold him in one hand but, but he was absolutely perfect…"

"H- how about Soniee? Does she know? Did she get to see him?"

"She's … uh… we… we don't know. Mij is still working on her." He swore. "Lagos, I can't lose her!"

"Korkie, I want to be there, but I- I've got Trace…"

"Bring him. I - I don't care. Just please come… hurry!"

"I'm on my way. I'll be there as quickly as I can."

"Okay… okay…"

The comm ended and Lagos burst into tears. It couldn't be true. It wasn't fair! Tracen looked up at her. His eyes, so much like Amis's, full of concern.

"Auntie Soniee is very sick, _ad'ika_ ," she tried to explain to him between sobs. "We - we're gonna go be with Uncle Korkie, alright?"

He made a sad noise in response to his mother's sadness even though he couldn't possibly understand.

She packed a bag of necessities for him quickly and hurried out the door.

It was only a couple of blocks to walk from the apartment to the building where Mij Gilamar practiced medicine, but the gulf between believing that her best friend would have a normal healthy child and the fact that she had just delivered a stillborn baby was insurmountable.

Lagos knew it wasn't Mij's fault. He was the best doctor on _Manda'yaim_. He was really too good for Enceri. She was sure he had done his best for Oron and he would get Soniee through this if anyone could. _Manda_! He had to!


	41. Cuy'val dar

This chapter is another tough one. The siege comes to a close but the war is not over.

* * *

Fox and Lagos only gave each other a look. She handed him the baby and then turned to embrace Korkie. "We're here for you. Whatever you need, just ask."

"Just being here, Lagos. Thank you." He looked beyond her and smiled sadly at Tracen. "How's Tr'ika?" But then he saw they way the little boy reached up to Fox's face.

"Bu Bu." Trace patted the clone's cheek.

"Maybe I should take him out." Fox suggested.

"No." Korkie blinked back tears but he shook his head. "No, it's okay."

Just then Fox's comm chimed. He had to juggle Tracen to his other arm to check it. Then he hurriedly passed the baby back to Lagos. "It's Coruscant. I've got to take this."

"I thought you said you weren't going to go back," she said worriedly.

"I'm not. Of course I'm not. But I … uh … can't let them know that yet. I'll get it sorted. I promise, _Cyar'ika_."

Lagos nodded and sighed. "Alright then."

Fox stepped out into the street and activated the comm. It was the Chancellor himself. "Commander Fox, the time has come. Execute order sixty-six."

Fox blinked. "Sir?"

Palpatine didn't look like he was happy about having to repeat himself. "Is there some problem with the connection? I said, execute order sixty-six!"

Fox straitened up to attention. "No problem, Sir. Yes Sir."

"Good, good." The chancellor smiled and ended the comm.

Fox felt as if his chest was constricting. His hand went to the tiny scar on his right temple. This is what it was all about. It had to be. He felt no compulsion to follow the order not like when the Chancellor had told him to do what was necessary concerning ARC trooper Fives. But every other trooper in the army… any of his brothers who hadn't known about the chips…

His comm chimed again and this time the image of Captain Rex rose from the projector. "You got it too?" he asked without preamble.

"Yeah. The order…"

"It's chaos here. All I can do to keep the others off General Tano."

"That's… Captain, they're her own men! They would never…"

"You underestimate Palps. I commed because it won't just be the Jedi. The General's not even a member of the order anymore. They know about Commander Ordo, her Force sensitivity. There'll be troopers, brothers who will come after her too."

"If she lives that long." Fox mumbled.

"Didn't catch that."

"Soniee's fighting for her life right now, Sir. She lost the baby."

"I'm sorry, _vod_." the Captain bowed his head for a moment. "Just stay alert. They… uh… they won't be able to help themselves. It's not their fault, but... " There was blast behind him and he returned fire. " _Kriff_ , it's like Umbara all over again."

The connection fizzled out.

Fox thought he would be sick. He dropped the commlink to the pavement and crushed it under his boot. Then he took a few deep breaths and reentered the doctor's waiting room. He saw his wife sitting with their son on her lap.

"Korkie, she's gonna be fine." Lagos was saying. "Doc Gilamar will fix her up and I know nothing will replace Oron in your hearts but… they're will be time for others…"

Korkie exploded from his chair. "You think I would make her go through this again? I will never… I shouldn't have… I should have listened to her when she said she wasn't ready." He paced as he ranted. "Maybe someday if she wants… maybe we could adopt, but never again will I risk her health…" He noticed Fox then and his expression changed.

Fox was afraid for a moment that the grieving young man was going to attack but he didn't. Instead Korkie laid his hand on Fox's shoulder. "I didn't get a chance to thank you. I was so wrong. I know now that you only had Soniee's best interest at heart when she was on Coruscant. And you helped her get her ship. And you commed the Doc to get us back here from Sundari… Thank you, _ner vod_."

A great depth of emotion was plain on the clone's face. He swallowed back a lump in his throat. " _Ner vod_. Yeah, you all are my family now."

"Fox, what happened?" Lagos asked hurrying to his side.

"The Republic… The Chancellor…" Fox cleared his throat and wiped his sleeve across his eyes. "We should all sit down. There's a lot to tell."

They all returned to their chairs and while they waited for news of some change in Soniee's condition, Fox began the tale from the beginning. Lagos had heard bits of it already from both Soniee and Fox and Soniee had told parts of the story to Korkie, but now Fox was beginning to see how it all fit together. He told them about the party at 500 Republica at which Soniee had thought a powerful Force user had taken control of Lux Bonteri to entice her to use her powers. She had never revealed who she believed that Force user to be, but after that night she was wary of the Chancellor. She asked Fox more than once if he trusted the man and Fox had assured her that he did, but she told him to be careful.

Then Fox recounted his own experience of the night ARC trooper Fives attempted to assassinate Palpatine and how the Chancellor had expressly ordered him to take whatever measures necessary to put down the threat. There was no virus. It was just like Fives had been trying to tell them. The chips were put in their heads to make them follow specific orders. He showed them the scar on his temple where Rex had removed the chip from his own head.

At this point in the story Bo-Katan and Fenn Rau arrived at the Doctor's office. Fox had to go back and retell some of the story but when he finally got to the point of the order he had just received they were able to corroborate from witnessing it first hand. They had seen the clone troopers suddenly turn on Ahsoka just after Maul was captured.

"But not you?" Bo asked.

Fox shook his head and tapped his temple.

"So what do we do?" Korkie finally asked what they were all wondering. "They'll be coming after Soinee too, won't they? To make sure that Fox has done his duty?"

"We'll fight." Fenn said matter of factly. "We'll hide her away. We'll do whatever it takes."

The others expressed their agreement and then they all sort of faded into their own worried silence. Tracen got bored and fidgety and Lagos started to sing a Mando'a counting song with him clapping his hands together. Fox sat beside them smiling at the little boy.

Bo-Katan powered up a holoscreen with the latest news from Coruscant. She and Fenn spoke in quiet voices about the images of the flames rising from the Jedi temple.

Korkie sat with his head in his hands. His son was dead. His wife was now an enemy of the Republic. Just days ago he had held her in his arms. He had felt Oron moving inside her belly. And now…now…

Bo-Katan hushed everyone, even though the room was already fairly quiet, and turned up the volume on the holo. Chancellor Palpatine, looking older and shriveled beneath a hood, was addressing the Senate. His voice wasn't much more than a guttural croak but it still held undeniable power. "...The Jedi hoped to unleash their destructive power against the Republic by assassinating the head of government and usurping control of the clone army. But the aims of the would-be tyrants were valiantly opposed by those without elitist, dangerous powers. Our loyal clone troopers contained the insurrection within the Jedi Temple and quelled uprisings on a thousand worlds."

"But it's lies. It's all lies." Fox interjected. "The Jedi never…"

Palpatine continued, "The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated. Any collaborators will suffer the same fate."

"That's all of us, I guess." Bo frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

No one else had any words as they listened to the historic declaration. "The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger. The war is over. The Separatists have been defeated, and the Jedi rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning. In order to ensure the security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society, which I assure you will last for 10,000 years. An Empire that will be continue to be ruled by this august body and a sovereign ruler chosen for life. An Empire ruled by the majority, ruled by a new constitution…"

The speech went on but Korkie only heard the quiet voice of Dr. Gilamar calling him back into the surgery theater anteroom.

The doctor smiled warily at Korkie. "She's in stable condition. If you want to tell the others or I can inform them so that you..."

"No," Korkie answered quickly. "We're going to tell them that she died along with the baby."

"What?" Mij sputtered in shock.

" _Cuy'val dar_." Korkie was only half listening.

"She had a pretty close call there and I can't be entirely sure if there will be lasting effects from the stroke she suffered but she's young and strong and with treatment..."

"The Republic or Empire or whatever it is, they're hunting all the Jedi. They're after the Force sensitives too... Too many people know about her. It will be better this way."

Mij took him by the shoulders and looked into the young man's eyes. "I'll do everything I can to help her physically but emotionally... she's going to need all the support she can get, her friends, family..."

"If this Empire gets a hold of her she won't have a chance. Besides she'll have me... if she still wants me."

"You're her _riduur_ , the only family she's got left. Of course she'll want you."

"But it's my fault." Korkie cried, brokenly. "She was afraid. She'd been having nightmares about this very thing. It was me who wanted a child. I wanted so badly to be a father. If I hadn't pushed her into it. If I hadn't insisted... I almost lost her. This is the only way I know how to protect her."

The doctor rubbed his forehead. "You should go in and see her. Talk to her. If she hears your voice it may help..."

Korkie shook his head. "No, I'll - I'll go and tell the others."

Mij stood silently. He didn't hear Korkie's exact words but he heard the exclamations and cries of grief from Lagos, Fox, Bo, and Fenn, and he couldn't help but think it was wrong.

* * *

Lying on the surgery table, floating in and out of consciousness, Soniee only heard the beginning of Korkie's conversation with the doctor. It was all she needed to hear. She had already known that she could no longer feel Oron's presence. Her son was gone, but hearing the words, "tell them that she died along with the baby..." She was dead to him. _Cuy'val dar_. She could feel the blame pulsating from her husband. She couldn't save their child. She wished she had died instead.


	42. lovin' baby girl

title from the song by Melanie Safka  
and i guess i should officially add Republic Commando to the tags on this one since i'm actually adding Fi! I love Fi!  
Soniee is waking up to a whole new galaxy and now she just has to figure out where she fits into it.

I was a lovin baby girl  
Mommy, daddy had I none  
Be my mommy, daddy  
I will be your lovin one

Before the time I knew your face dear  
I was doing very well  
If I never knew your kisses  
I'd never known that I'd been in hell

I looked through all the windows 'round  
To find a star I hadn't found  
A cryful night I had a dream  
And saw a place I'd never seen...

* * *

Soniee woke up in a bacta tank. Other than that, she had no idea where she was. She thought she might have recognized someone through the thick liquid and the glass, someone she knew. But that was impossible, she remembered. Everyone she knew thought she was dead.

Then there was a voice, "Doc, she's waking up." That was familiar too, and the blurry figure left the room. She didn't reach out into the Force to figure out who the person was or why they were familiar. She didn't want to feel the lack of who should have been there.

Soon the tank was being drained and she was being lifted out. Someone dried her off and helped her into a robe. Doctor Mij Gilamar sat in a chair across from her and shined a bright light in both her eyes. She flinched away.

"How are you feeling today?" He asked.

"I'm not." She answered, pulling up her knees and wrapping her arms around them. She realized she shouldn't have been able to do this, but there was no round belly in her way. "I don't ever want to feel anything again."

"That's understandable, but all your scans are coming back normal and you should…"

"Didn't Korkie want to be here when I woke up?" There was a bite to her voice, even though she knew it wasn't Mij's fault. She could sense without trying that the doctor was as displeased with her husband as she was.

"He's in Enceri, attending your funeral."

 _And Oron's_ , she thought. She couldn't even properly mourn for her son. She'd never even seen him. Tears blurred her vision. "We're not in Enceri, then?" She asked.

"No," he hesitated. "You're someplace safe."

She resisted the urge to stretch out into the Force and figure out where she was. What did it matter if she was still on _Manda'yaim_ or on the other side of the galaxy? "Safe?"

Mij sighed and then he began to attempt to explain the changes that had occurred while she was unconscious. All the Jedi dead or deep in hiding, and at the hands of … All but Fox and a handful of his brothers who had the foresight to remove some sort of chip from their heads? She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. But the galaxy did suddenly feel … empty. Or was that just her own soul?

It almost made sense, Korkie wanting to fake her death so that this new Empire wouldn't come after her. But why wasn't he here to tell her this himself?

"Safe." She repeated when he had finished the story. "So I'm dead, so I can live. What kind of life is that?"

" _Cuy'val dar_ ," the doctor said quietly.

 _That's right_ , she thought. Mij Gilamar had been among those who gave up their lives and families to take on the secret mission of training the Republic's clone army. Men he had trained had followed the order to kill people like her. "What will happen to me?"

He patted her hand, seeming to think that her asking about the future was a good sign. "There will be plenty of time to figure that out. I'm going to comm your _riddur_ and tell him you're ready for visitors."

"Please!" She stopped him as he started to exit the room. "What if he doesn't…" _want to see me,_ she nearly said aloud.

Mij gave her a compassionate smile but he didn't acknowledge her fear. "Get some rest, we'll get you some real food, and then we'll figure out what's to be done next."

Soniee nodded, wiped her eyes, and then surveyed her surroundings. She'd been placed in a small bedroom. It didn't look like a hospital more like someone's home. Then she saw on a table by the wall her own _buy'ce_ stacked on top of Melaana's journal and the holonotebook that Korkie had saved from the academy.

She stared at the objects. They seemed to be from someone else's life. Maybe they were. She would have to be someone else now. She didn't remember standing up from the bed and crossing to the table until she found herself sweeping the stack of items angrily from its surface.

"Hey now." She heard a soft voice behind her and spun around to see who it was.

A man who was like Fox and yet not Fox set a tray of food on the bed and crossed the room to pick up the things she had launched to the floor.

Her first thought was of what Mij had told her about the order they'd all been triggered to follow. Soniee gasped and backed up to the wall.

He set the helmet back down on the floor and raised his hands. "It's alright. I'm only bring your supper."

"But you're…"

He tapped his head. "Something good came out of the head trauma. De-activated the… p-programing." The longer words seemed to give him some trouble.

She watched him warily for another few seconds and then it dawned on her. "You're Parja's… Fi."

He gave her a crooked smile. "Guess I don't mind… being hers. Yeah. That's me."

Soniee's expression softened but she still couldn't quite smile back at him.

"Brought you food." He gestured back at tray. "Why did you throw your things?" He lifted them carefully and set them back on the table.

She crossed back and sat next to the tray on the bed. She was more hungry than she wanted to admit. "I'm not… I can't be the person who owned those anymore." She didn't look at him as she spoke, preferring to keep her eyes on the tray.

"Oh right, I heard. You're… playing dead." He nodded. "Me too."

She looked up at him, trying not to appear too curious.

He tapped his head again. "The Repub- Empire... listed me K.I.A."

"I remember now." Soniee returned her gaze to her food. "Parja told me." She shrugged and then added in a mumble. "Left out the bit about your being a clone."

The head injury obviously hadn't affected his sensitive hearing or else Mij had been able to restore it. "I'm a clone?" His eyes widened in shock. "You mean there's more of me out there?"

He looked totally serious and Soniee thought for a moment she'd made a terrible mistake mentioning it. "Oh well, I- I mean…"

His face split into a grin. "Just teasing you. I know about my brothers and…" his countenance fell. "About what they were made to do. Mij and _Kal'buir_ want to fix them.. as many as they can."

She didn't ask who _Kal'buir_ was. She was thinking about what would become of her if more clones were brought here (wherever here was) to be fixed.

"... Trying to figure out how to stop our… aging, too." He went on.

She perked up a bit. "I should tell Fox about that." But she couldn't. She couldn't tell anyone about anything. She was dead.

"Hey." Fi saw her droop again and tried to encourage her. "We'll make sure your friend gets the cure… when we find it."

"Thank you." She picked at the food on her tray.

While she ate he noticed something else that had fallen on the floor. It was a loose page from her mother's journal. "This isn't... _Aurebesh_ or _Mando'a_ …" he said curiously.

She swallowed her bite of food. "It's… Onderonian. That's where my birth mother was from."

He nodded as he carefully replaced the page inside the journal. Fi's brow creased as if he was thinking hard about something. "When _Kal'buir_ started to look for a way to fix my brothers and I, he… went back to where we were … made. Maybe you could go back where you… were made, and answer your questions." He blushed then and shook his head to clear it. "Sorry. Don't listen to me. I don't know what I'm saying."

"No." Soniee put down her fork. "It's not a bad idea at all." She sighed. "I've always wanted to learn more about my parents. Maybe this is the excuse I've been waiting for."

Fi blushed a little deeper red. "I'll let you finish eating." He slipped out of the room while she was still considering what he had said, before she could ask him to stay and keep her company.


	43. legacy

A break from your regularly scheduled tear-jerker to see what Melaana is up to.

* * *

She stood dutifully on the landing platform with her parents but her heart was back at the ruping paddock with Bremon. The eggs were going to hatch anytime and as much as Melaana really did want to say hello to Dane and Mina as well as welcome them back to Onderon, she thought it could be done later and more privately. But no, Mother wanted a show. Well, she would get one.

The holos of 'the Rash Heiress' had caused a minor stir, but it was concluded that the girl who was seen kissing a man in the rough leathers of an animal tender and riding with him on the back of one of the planet's reptavian beasts could not possibly be the same brokenhearted young lady who saw her betrothed off to Coruscant a couple of months earlier. Today's very publicized meeting was meant to prove that if any party were in the wrong for breaking the engagement, it was the Bonteris not House Rash.

Still there was some speculation at Melaana's choice of gown. The high waist meant to conceal her growing tummy was really more effective at bringing attention to it. She didn't care, even though mother nudged her every few minutes to remind her to unclasp her hands from in front of her and drop them down to her sides.

Barron Skelari stood on the opposite side of the of the landing platform, as far as possible from the Rash family, and the Bonteri mother and father stood somewhere uncomfortably in between. They all watched as the senatorial shuttle landed and the ramp descended to the platform. And then as everyone seemed to be holding their breath, the very noticeably pregnant Senator was escorted down the ramp by the beaming Lieutenant.

While the rest of the observers gasped, Melaana squealed with delight and clapped her hands. Then she sped forward and rather than going to her supposed betrothed, she instead took both of Mina's hands in hers and exclaimed. "Welcome home, Senator Bonteri!"

Her mother nearly swooned but Melaana went on to kiss Mina's cheek and then turned to Dane grinning, "Congratulations!"

"And to you, as well." He laughed and then looked around the platform expectantly. "Is Mr. Kira..."

"He couldn't be here." Melaana frowned. "He wanted to be. He wanted to meet you both. But he will soon. We'll all have dinner together!"

Mina smiled at her husband and then her eyes opened wide and her hand went to her stomach. "We'd all like that."

Melaana brightened but her voice dropped to an amazed whisper. "I haven't felt mine move yet. Is it - is it amazing?"

Mina nodded, took the other girl's hand, and placed it on her stomach where the baby inside was kicking like mad.

"Awww." Melaana gushed. "They're going to be the best of friends. I'm sure of it."

Dane cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt." He smirked. "I see you've brought your ship out today. I hope you're still enjoying it." He nodded toward the freighter he had given her. "The Ruping Queen is what you named her, wasn't it?"

"Yes." But Melaana's expression fell. "But I'm afraid I must return it. Mother says since it was a betrothal gift and well, we're no longer betrothed..."

He broke in, concerned and a little offended. "You didn't think I meant it as... You have a talent and all you had to practice on was that open cockpit model."

Mina put a hand on her shoulder. "You should keep it. We're both so thankful for all you've done for us."

"And besides," Dane's smirk returned. "you can't give it back. We just got you this to go with it." He turned and took a package from a droid she hadn't noticed before, standing behind him. He handed it to her and waited expectantly for her to open it.

"Go on." Mina encouraged with a smile.

Melaana looked back and forth between them, bit her lip, and then tore into the flimsi wrapping. Inside she found a piloting jacket and on the back in Onderonian Runes was embroidered the name "The Ruping Queen". Maybe it was the hormones but her eyes filled up with tears. "Thank you." She sniffed. "I love it."

It was then that the parents began to approach, all very formally. Mina sobered but Melaana rolled her eyes and Dane nervously began a prepared speech. "I must ask all of you to forgive us for deviating from our previous arrangement. Miss Rash, excuse me, Lady Kira," He nodded at Melaana. "and I have long been aware that a union between the two of us would have meant settling for far less than either of us desired. We were both prepared to go along with the wishes of our families, however during the negotiations for our betrothal, we separately and completely unintentionally, discovered each a partner who fulfilled our wildest dreams. The matches that were made." Here he took Mina's hand and smiled at her as if she had singlehandedly hung Dxun in the sky. "Myself to Mina Skelari and Melaana to Bremon Kira are not in anyway detrimental to the status of our respective families. And I believe that all of the involved parties..." He looked around at each of the heads of families and noticed as Melaana did just then that Naidon Kira had also joined the assembly as representative of his clan. "will come to realize, if they haven't already, that circumstances really did turn out for the best."

"Hear, hear." Melaana agreed but there was an emotional catch in her voice and then she laughed through her tears as the parents (and uncle) came forward (some of them more grudgingly than others) to offer congratulations. She stepped back hugging her new jacket and let Dane and Mina take center stage. It was their homecoming after all.

"I think you handled that very well." Uncle Nadd sidled up beside her. "You would have done well as a politician."

"Me?" Melaana wiped at her eyes. "No. That's Mina's arena not mine."

"Well, perhaps the child will inherit your talent and be a great representative of the people."

"Is that what you see in our baby's future?" she asked curiously. "You did say something to my mother about a crown belonging to the House of Rash."

He chuckled but not cruelly. "The future is not an open book but I didn't think it would hurt to allow her to hope."

"On the contrary." Melaana smiled. "She'll probably never let us hear the end of it until she sees it happen. It was a good thing I was already married to Brem when you suggested it or she may have thrown caution to the wind and attempted to have me betrothed to Ramsis Dendup"

"A very determined woman, your mother." He nodded. "You'll forgive me for saying, but I see a lot of her in you."

"I suppose I can be rather tenacious when the situation warrants." She allowed.

"It's not only that." Something in the old wizard's tone made her turn and look at him more seriously. "It's very important to her to see her children excel in their every endeavor. I've no doubt that you will be just as conscientious in the raising of your own child."

Melaana's hand went to the small bulge of her belly and she looked down blushing slightly. "Of course I want whatever's best for Brem and I's little one."

"My dear," he continued again after a moment. "I believe Bremon may have informed you that…"

She glanced up curiously at him.

He cleared his throat. "I have great expectations for the child as well. Perhaps not a crown…"

"He said something about a prophecy?"

Naidon nodded solemnly. "Words were said over my nephew when he was young, concerning his offspring. A great power his child was said to possess." His voice had that mystical quality that it sometimes contained and it made her shiver.

"I don't know what that means." She told him.

He gave a short laugh seeming to descend back to the solid ground. "I'm not sure about that myself."

The words reassured her somewhat and she smiled. He glanced around at the platform and noticed that the homecoming seemed to have moved on without them. "If you are no longer needed here I would hazard a guess that you would wish to return to the side of my nephew?"

"Your guess would be correct." She sighed.

"Please tell me you weren't planning on walking back alone in this heat." Uncle Nadd admonished. Technically autumn had arrived but in the near equatorial city of Iziz summer was holding fast.

She shook her head. "Only as far as the Gerrera's. I was going to ask if Geb or Edda would drive me the rest of the way."

"There is another way, cooler and a bit of a shortcut, if you will permit me the honor of escorting you, my dear?" Naidon Kira gave her a formal, old-fashioned bow.

She had to admit that a shortcut to Bremon was just about the best thing she could think of at the moment. More than that even, she wanted to make peace with Brem's uncle. They were family now after all, and he seemed to want to be involved in their lives, to make amends for whatever mistakes he had made in raising his nephew. She decided then and there that the gentleman deserved for her to take a chance on him. "Alright." She gave him a smile and a nod. "I should say something to my mother first."

"Of course." He offered his arm and she took it.

* * *

"I had no idea all this was under the city." Melaana gazed around at the halls and chambers they passed through. There were areas, probably closer to the river, that smelled a bit musty. For the most part however, the tunnels were clean and level and dry.

"Our ancestors found these spaces very useful and kept them well maintained in case of future need."

"Uncle Nadd, do you believe they may come in useful again?" She asked conversationally as the walked.

He thought about it. "Do you mean, do I believe that our people will one day face a foe that will warrant such a bastion as necessary?"

She frowned and then nodded.

"Someday, though not soon, I think. Perhaps the child will live to see such a thing come to pass. It might even be that the powers that were foreseen will come into play for such a time."

"I hope not." Melaana worried. "I don't want her to ever have to face anything so unpleasant."

Naidon patted her hand. "No parent wishes their child to experience pain, but pain is part of life. It's how we learn. It's how we grow."

She nodded again but bit her lip.

He seemed to want to cheer her up but didn't have much experience at such a thing. "Her?" He asked.

"What?"

"You said you didn't want _her_ to have to face anything unpleasant." Uncle Nadd gave her a leading smile. "Do you know the child is female or just…"

"Hope." She answered with a small smile of her own. "I suppose I could have a scan done to find out. I just don't want to be disappointed." She took a breath and then said more quietly, "I don't want Brem to be disappointed." She brightened again right away perhaps trying to convince him or herself. "I'm sure once I see the baby, I'll fall in love with him or her and it won't matter at all. And Brem will, too."

"I'm sure you will." He patted her hand again. They walked in silence for awhile and then he said, "There's something I'd like to show you."

"Oh?" She answered a bit distracted.

"Yes. It is a legacy of our family. Something that will pass on to Bremon and his child when I'm gone."

Melaana realized the seriousness and she also realized something else. "It's not something Brem wants a part of, does he?"

Naidon stopped walking and looked down at the ground beneath his feet. "My nephew doesn't see, he has never seen how vital…"

Her curiosity was getting the better of her, but there was something else that was drawing her towards this thing, whatever it was. She couldn't put it into words, but it was almost as if the baby inside her wanted to claim its inheritance. She wouldn't be defying her husband's wishes, or at least that's what she was telling herself. She needed to see this thing for herself. Then if it was harmless she could tell him that he didn't have anything to worry about. She was doing this for Brem, really.

"Show me." Melaana told Naidon with complete surety.

"Yes. Come this way." He led her deeper and as they neared the goal she slowed almost to a halt.

"I've seen this place." She whispered. "In a … well I thought it was only a strange dream."

Uncle Nadd was becoming more excited. "Perhaps it was the child showing you."

Melaana stopped altogether. "You really think my baby could…" She wasn't quite so sure now if this was such a good idea after all.

He took her hand and pulled her on. "It's not much further now."

Finally they came to a chamber that ended with a stone archway. But there was no way through it. A slab covered with runes older than any she had learned, appeared to be a portal. Now that they were here she knew she had to move forward and touch it but something else was holding her back.

"Go on." Naidon encouraged her.

"I can't." But even as she said it her feet were moving and she raised one trembling hand. Her hand made contact with the ice cold surface… and nothing happened.

Melaana sighed with relief and she heard Uncle Nadd say, "Ah. The child must not yet be strong enough..." After that she passed out and heard no more for some time.

* * *

"Bremon!" She squealed excitedly and ran to him.

He gathered her into a hug but then looked warily at his uncle who had escorted her to the paddock.

"I didn't miss the hatching, did I?" She asked.

"No," he assured her. "They all waited for you. How did the homecoming go?"

"Oh it was wonderful! Mina and Dane are so happy together, and I felt her baby move, and oh, Brem, I can't wait till we can feel ours."

"That'll be great." He smiled at her but then sobered some. "And then Uncle Nadd saw you home?"

"Yes. He took me on a shortcut under the city. It was certainly cooler than if I had walked over land or ridden in the Gerrera's wagon. He was right about that."

"Just the shortcut under the city? He didn't show you anything else?"

Melaana's brow creased in momentary confusion and then she laughed. "No. Should he have?" She could remember walking through the tunnels and discussing her desire that the baby would be a girl, and there was something that felt like a memory from a dream, and then they were climbing the steps from Uncle Nadd's office to the place where she and Brem had said their vows.

"Of course not." Bremon shook his head. "Come and see the nests. There'll be new baby rupings any minute now."

"I can hardly wait to see them!"


	44. come and gone

so i've been listening to a lot of Melanie Safka she does sing cheerful songs too. 'Brand New Key' is nice so is 'Animal Crackers' and 'the nickel song'. 'Together Alone' fits Fox and Lagos pretty nicely (thinking of translating that one into Mando'a) ...

Soniee's story, however, is running more toward some of the more sad songs. This chapter begins with lyrics from the song 'Momma Momma'.

If her strength in the Force is locating people at a distance her weakness seems to be developing so much empathy that she internalizes other peoples feelings and believes them to be her own. She realized this almost too late with Fox at the end of the first story in the trilogy and now it's Korkie's feelings that she's mixing up with her own.

Momma Momma, I fear you reared me wrong

'cause I pick up my head, can't tell where I belong.

Momma Momma, something's hurting me bad,

I have a yearning for something that I never had.

Sometimes I feel my life has come and gone.

I live in this world but I'm only looking on.

I can't understand, it's too far over my head.

I'm living the life but I'm really dying instead.

* * *

"Sleep. Your body needs rest." The doctor had told her. But she'd been unconscious for days and now that she was aware of everything that had happened while she was out, sleep was the very last thing she wanted. Her mind was wide awake. Still Soniee obediently lay in the darkened room and pretended.

The bed, like everything else, felt empty. She had grown so used to Korkie's warm presence spooning around her. She longed to feel him now, close to her, to hear his voice. And then she did, softly, muffled from the hallway, but it was him.

"She's recovering, then? Her blood pressure? The swelling? The... blindness?"

"Yes." That was Mij's voice. "The bacta has done wonders, as well, I think, as her own abilities. The Force must want her to live even if she's not so keen on it."

"She said that? That she didn't want to..."

"More than once she expressed the wish that it was her instead of the baby..."

And then Soniee felt that overwhelming sense of blame again. She tried to shut it out but her connection to her husband was still so strong. Feeling what he was feeling was second nature to her. She stifled a sob so the men wouldn't hear it from outside the room and wiped the tears from her eyes on the bedsheets.

"I am going to give her a hypomed..." the doctor continued. "to prevent her from conceiving at least for the next 5 years."

Korkie was silent but she could feel it, he was horrified.

"If," the doctor went on. "When she does, it will be considered a very high risk pregnancy. She'll have to be monitored from the beginning to make sure that..."

"You think I would..." Korkie exploded, he was still trying to keep his voice down but the agitation in his tone was clear. As was the insinuation, that whether she was ready for it or not, he never wanted to have children with her. She had failed him once and he wasn't going to let it happen again.

"Korkie, whatever the two of you decide to do in the future, she needs you now."

She did. _Manda_ she needed him! Even though his grief, his pain, the blame were so intense, suffocating on top of her own, she still needed him.

"How could she?"

The simple question cut her deep and she barely contained a cry of anguish. Soniee pressed her lips together to keep it from escaping. She bit the inside of her cheek and tasted blood.

Mij was still trying to reason with him. "When she wakes up..."

"She's asleep now?" Korkie asked and then hardly giving her time to perfect her imitation of slumber, he opened the door.

She didn't dare breathe with his eyes so intently watching her. He knelt next to the bed and reached out a hand but then drew it back. He didn't even want to touch her. Then he was up, out of the room, down the hall, and away.

The sound that came from her started out as a keening whine. It rose in pitch to a wail that consumed all other thought and emotion. It went on and on, tearing from her throat until Dr. Gilamar finally managed to give her a sedative and the medication began to take effect.

* * *

When Soniee opened her burning eyes, the first thing she noticed was the tube running from her arm to the flimsiplast bag of liquid. It held meds to keep her sedated, perhaps, or maybe just something to keep her hydrated. Even with it, her throat felt raw and parched. Not surprising considering all the screaming she'd done.

What was surprising was the person she saw dozing in the chair. "Parja?" She rasped hardly above a whisper though loud enough to wake her friend.

"Soniee. Hold on I'll get you some water." Parja ran out and was back in less than a minute. She helped Soniee to take a drink and then asked. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

Soniee shook her head. "Y-you know I'm alive."

"I should hope so. You're staying in my house." She answered with a smile.

"That explains…" Soniee tried to clear her throat, winced, and reached for the glass of water for another drink. This one she managed unassisted. "I met your… Fi."

Parja nodded. "He told me."

"He spoke very well." Soniee grasped at a conversation that was anything other than her own situation. "I'm not sure what I expected from your description of his injury, but he seems to be doing much better now."

"When I met… when he was first brought here to _Manda'yaim,_ I mean, he was completely unresponsive. I don't know what he was like before. They say he was quite the talker, had a great sense of humor."

"I can see that." Soniee almost smiled. She thought of Fox and how different the two men's personalities were. And then she thought of all the other clones who might be hunting her even now.

"I can't stay here." She started to sit up. "I'm putting all of you in danger. I'll have to go… somewhere."

Parja stood and blocked her progress. "You're not going anywhere until you're well."

Soniee hated how weak she felt but she had to admit defeat and fell back against her pillow. She looked away from the other young woman and she would have started crying if she wasn't too dehydrated for tears.

"Soniee, things will get better. Korkie will come around."

"He doesn't even want to touch me." She sobbed.

"He's afraid of hurting you…"

"Hurting me? He blames me! And it is, it's all my fault. I should have been able to…"

Parja didn't need the Force to empathize with her friend. "No one blames you, least of all Korkie."

Soniee shook her head and pushed away the comforting hand. "He does. I've felt it. I should have been able to save our son and I couldn't. He won't take the chance that I might fail him again."

"I'm sure that's not true. You just need to talk to him."

"How can I if he'll only come to see me if he thinks I'm asleep? And don't tell me that's not true. You can ask Mij."

Parja didn't know how to respond to that.

Soniee took her silence as assent. "I don't know. Maybe it's better for us to be apart. I would only put him in harm's way. Manda knows everyone else I've ever been close to seems to end up hurt or … dead."

"Soniee, none of that was your fault."

"A whole lot of kriffing coincidences then. My mother's freighter crashed right after I was born. Not just crashed, crashed into the very spot where there was a kriffing crystal that had been calling out for me to find it. Then Amis. He looked back to see if I was okay. If he hadn't… and I saw it, saw him dead before it happened and I couldn't stop it. And Kriff! Concord Dawn! The whole Kriffing planet! If I hadn't let Maul see the crystal. Momma… and… and Babuir and everyone else. And then… and then Oron… my baby…."

Parja had come to sit beside her, tried to wrap her in a hug but Soniee shoved her away. "No, don't touch me!" It wasn't as hard a Force push as it could have been but it still sent Parja flying back against the wall with the strength of her emotions. Parja only had the wind knocked out of her and she'd probably have a bruise but to Soniee it was just one more example of the injury she could inflict even when she was trying not to.

Mij and Fi who had already started moving in that direction when they heard the raised voices doubled their speed at the sound of the impact. They arrived to find Soniee apologizing profusely and Parja, while keeping her distance, telling the other girl that no harm had been done.

Soniee felt Parja's fear as Parja hurried to her boyfriend's side. Soniee winced. "I can't stay here."

Mij, after a quick glance to make sure that Parja was unhurt went to Soniee's bedside and began to check his primary patient. "I am your physician and I will tell you when you are ready to be dismissed from my care." He said calmly but firmly.

She could have pushed him away as well. She could have done far worse, but she only sighed shakily and nodded.

He finished his exam and then as if it had only been a simple checkup patted her shoulder.

She flinched.

He didn't mention it if he noticed. "I'd like to see you getting up and moving around, getting some exercise."

"Okay but only here in this room." She answered In a determined whisper.

"There's hardly space enough for…" he countered but she continued with her stipulations.

"I won't risk running into anyone in the hallway and losing control. And I don't want anyone else coming in here to see me. Other than that, I'll do whatever you say." She gave a stiff nod as if that settled the matter but then she thought of something else. "And I'll need to be searching for a place to go once you give me leave. S-somewhere far away… away from Mandalore."

For a moment he was silent and she was afraid that he wouldn't agree to her demands. Then he shook his head and sighed. "Alright. When Korkie comes again the three of us will sit down and…"

"No!" She stopped him before he could go any further. "No, Korkie mustn't see me either! I've already hurt him enough. I won't," she choked back a sob. "I won't put him through any more. The sooner I'm able to get away the better."


	45. Happy Lifeday

Melaana's 18th Lifeday brings together some unlikely party guests. Also a peek into Bremon's childhood.

* * *

She didn't ask for any gifts for her 18th life day. All Melaana really wanted was a picnic surrounded by all the people she loved. It wasn't quite spring but the weather had been mild for the last week and she half in jest asked Uncle Nadd to petition the powers that be to make sure that it stayed that way.

He smiled indulgently at her. "The heavens wouldn't dare defy Lady Melaana Kira on her Lifeday."

He and Bremon had still not completely given up their old animosity, but they were speaking civilly to each other now. It was an accomplishment Melaana was rather proud of.

The Kira family had a sprawling one story ranch house, near the river in the jungle. When Bremon's parents were alive it was surrounded by cultivated vegetable and flower gardens that were tended by Mrs. Kira and lawns where their young son played with his animals.

Melaana didn't know a thing about gardening but she hoped to learn now that she and Brem were settling into the old place and their own baby would play here as he once had. Today it would be the location of her picnic and perhaps while Shara was here she could ask her advice about what to grow and how to go about it.

When his parents died, Bremon was taken down into the tunnels under the city to live with Uncle Nadd. He was only 3 or 4 at the time and he hated it. Brem's uncle had purchased a droid to see to the boy's basic needs and only came to check on him infrequently to set him lessons on reading and writing and maths. He was always trying to sneak away and find his way back home. When he was around 6 he finally managed it and found that the the jungle had completely encroached on the property. The house was falling apart. He wanted fix it up all by himself, and he did try but he was just a little kid and he ended up scavenging for the vegetables that were growing wild all over the place and made himself a kind of a nest in what used to be the living room. Bremon was lonely until the animals started coming to him but he was happy to be back in his own house. He was content to live the way the animals did and would have probably gone feral if it hadn't been for Edda.

Melaana didn't know what she would have done without Edda either. While the two of them worked to prepare the yard for the party, Edda told her a little about the history of the place and how she had found Bremon.

Edda was from a beast riding family. When she was sixteen, she and her family were tending the dalgos barns. It was a stressful time of year. The foals had just been born and a male dalgos would eat his own young if he thought it posed a threat to his superiority. One of the foals went missing and most of the clan thought that is what had happened. Edda however didn't see any of the usual signs and believed that the little one had just wandered off.

She told her parents that she was going to look for it and they told her to be careful and not to go to close to the old Kira place. Well, that's where the trail led her and upon entering the rundown building she found a little boy curled up with the missing dalgos and a fledgling ruping with a crumpled wing. The ruping was Kraven, who became the father of Princess and Frayl and their brothers.

Edda had no idea who the boy was but he absolutely refused to leave the house or the animals. He was very pale and had been terribly thin but it looked like he was eating well now because he had a horde of vegetables that he was keeping in the old broken conservator in what would have been the kitchen. Edda told him, "Kid, if you're going to live out here by yourself you got to learn how to take care of yourself."

She helped him clean up the living room and the kitchen and a couple of other rooms and promised to come back and check on him. She had to come up with more and more excuses to get away to look after him and she started to teach him how to cook. He was like a neglected house plant that was brought outside and planted in good soil in the spring. He thrived!

"I'm so glad you were there for him when he needed someone," Melaana told her.

Edda shook her head. "Lord knows, Naidon wasn't doing the job."

Naidon, at first, thought his nephew must have gotten lost in the tunnels so he looked for Brem himself. When he was quite certain that wasn't the case, he put out the word in the city. He checked the orphanage, street gangs of homeless kids, put up signs, offered a reward for news…

"So then what happened? Surely you didn't raise Brem out here all by yourself."

"Well no. I had some help." Edda smiled warmly. "It was about that time that Geb came along."

Geb's parents were also from a beast rider clan but they lived in the city. His father was a master of all trades and taught his son to be the same. He could do blacksmithing, leather work, woodwork. This is the guy you would come to if you needed a cart fixed or a new saddle or bridle. Geb's favorite thing was carpentry. He could carve beautiful pieces from wood. He first saw Edda at Summer fete when they were kids and then sought her out every year after that.

He had to make some kind of delivery to the dalgos barn the day that she went searching for the missing foal and he followed her. He was trying to work up the courage to talk to her when saw her enter the old house. Immediately his brain started working on what needed to be fixed, what supplies would be required, how much time the repairs would take, just to keep his mind busy while she was inside. When she came out she almost caught him but he stayed hidden. He followed her again as she walked home and knew nothing about the boy inside.

He did finally talk to her and he tried to get around to asking her about the house she found but she was obviously keeping that a secret. So he followed her out there a few more times and went once or twice on his own just to see the extent of the damage on the place.

"Maybe he was just thinking I liked the place," Edda mused.

"Maybe he thought he'd fix it up for the two of you to live in." Melaana smiled, enjoying the tale.

On his third solo trip, he thought he heard something inside so he carefully entered and found the little boy who's picture he's seen on the signs up around town. "You're the Kira boy!" Geb said and Brem growled at him. Not because of the kid's reaction but because he didn't want to give away Edda's secret, he didn't tell anyone. But he did return to see what Edda would do next and if the kid will tell Edda about the other visitor. Bremon didn't mention it.

"Then how did you ever figure out he'd been following you?" Melaana asked.

"It was a little while after that Brem and I started a project that was a little too big for either of us to handle. And here comes Geb, cautiously out of his hiding spot and offers to help to cut up and move a fallen tree."

She noticed that the little boy was agitated but she quickly diffused the situation. She put her hands on her hips and said. "Well, we're not going to turn him down if he's offering to work, are we kid?"

"So you all worked together after that?" Melaana asked.

"That's right. Geb finally got brave enough to speak up and tell us both about what materials were necessary to finish the house and how he could bring the stuff out and help with the work. He was hoping just to impress me, probably, and he did, but I didn't let on." She smirke at the memory.

"Then Geb asked to walk me home. And I told him I guessed we were headed in the same direction. Once we got a little way away from the house, he asks, 'You know who that kid is, don't you?' and l said, 'No, he never told me. I could just tell he needed somebody. He was so skinny and pale when I first found him. I asked if I could help him find his parents, and he said he didn't have any.' Well Geb told me his parents were dead, that he was Bremon Kira and that his uncle was looking for him. I should have known it all along. That's why he didn't want to leave the house. It was his home."

"Why didn't Uncle Nadd think of looking for him there?" Melaana asked.

Edda shrugged. " I didn't think he could have been doing a very good job looking after him. Kid was doing a better job looking after himself. But I supposed we'd have to tell Naidon. They were family after all."

"So you and Geb brought Brem back to his uncle."

"Not right off." Edda shook her head. "We told our families about the boy first and what a sorry state he was in when I found him. Our families took the issue to a council of all of the beast rider clans and put together a delegation to confront Naidon. It was agreed that Bremon could stay in his home. Geb got the responsibility of restoring the house and all the clans kind of adopted Brem and watched out for him. Naidon still claimed responsibility to see to his formal education but he learned all sorts of other useful skills from members of the clans."

"He certainly did." Melaana smiled. "Sounds like I have Geb to thank for teaching him how to properly court a girl as well."

"That you do." Edda winked.

It was Geb who constructed the tables for the outdoor meal. Melaana wouldn't have minded if they all sat on the ground like they had round the fires at the Summer Fete, but out of respect for her parents, and Sanjay and the very pregnant Senator and her husband whom had all been invited for the occasion, she decided that a more formal layout would be preferable.

If there was anything Melaana had learned from her mother it was how to throw a party. She had enlisted the cook from back home to prepare the meal for so many people. She and Edda laid out linen table cloths and flatware and dishes while Saw ran around the yard and little Steela sat and watched them and played with a spoon she had swiped off the table.

Melaana ran to the kitchen to get a replacement utensil and placed it on the table with a sigh. She rubbed her round belly as she looked over the preparations and tried to remember if she had forgotten anything.

"You should sit and take a break," Edda told her.

She did so but she didn't really appear to relax. "They'll be here any time. I just want everything to be perfect."

"It will be. You have worked harder than any being I know to make it so. Now be still and let us celebrate you."

Melaana smiled nervously. "Alright."

It wasn't long before they heard the sound of the dalgos pulled wagon coming up the path to the house. Geb had converted the wagon that usually carried supplies into a surprisingly comfortable transport. Melaana bit her lip. She hoped it was comfortable enough for her mother and for Mina. And then as the wagon came closer she heard laughter.

Geb pulled the vehicle into the yard and pulled back on the reins bringing the dalgos pair to a halt. Shara jumped down to help tether them. She waved at Melaana and smiled. "Happy Lifeday!"

Melaana stood a little awkwardly from her seat and went to meet them. "How was the trip?"

"It was lovely!" Mina was glowing. Dane helped her down carefully from the back of the wagon. The two expecting mothers giggled as they tried to give each other a hug.

"And you're feeling alright?" Melaana asked her friend.

Mina assured her. "I've still got a couple weeks to go yet. He seems perfectly happy to stay where he is. But your mother did insist on bringing along that mid-wife droid, so if either of us need anything we'll be in capable hands."

"Happy Lifeday, Mel." Dane interrupted and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." she grinned. "I'm so glad both of you could make it." And then she turned because she heard her mother's voice rise in an apprehensive squeal.

Geb was helping the Rash matriarch to descend from the back of the wagon, "Oh! What an adventure we're having!" As soon as her feet touched the ground and she had a chance to smooth the wrinkles out of her gown she looked around for her daughter. "Melaana, Melaana, My Dear. I have finally come to see your little cabin in the woods!"

Melaana went to her mother and embraced her. Suddenly she was rather emotional. "It's more than a little cabin, Mother, but I am very glad you're here to see it."

"Oh my dear girl." She wiped a tear form Melaana's cheek. "I'm sure it's far better than that lodge we stayed at when we went on holiday when you were a girl."

"The Blackwell Lodge on the North Sea?" Sanjay joined them scowling and shuddered at the mention of their onetime family vacation destination. "Anything would be better than that."

"Hello, Sani." Melaana laughed and hugged her brother.

He grinned back at her. It was not an expression that many people were privileged to see. "I wouldn't have missed my baby sister's Lifeday for the whole planet."

Daddy was hugging her next and then finally when all the others were finding their places around the table Bremon wrapped his arms around his wife and whispered in her ear. "I would never have believed they would all be here together, getting along. You're a miracle worker!"

"This is… exactly what I wanted." She held onto him a little longer before they joined everyone else at the table. She was tearing up again and trying to get control of her emotions. She looked at her friends and family, Gerreras, Rashes, and Bonteris. It did seem to be a miracle for members of such historically feuding houses to be getting along so well.

"Uncle Nadd's still not here." Bremon's voice could have been relieved or annoyed at the old man's failure to show up on time.

"He will be. He promised." Melaana sniffed and then approached the table like a queen overseeing her domain.

The food was ready. They waited as long as they could but no one really seemed to mind. After a while, however, Melaana decided that they really should begin even though Naidon had yet to make an appearance. She looked around and saw Mina and her mother and Father chatting about politics. Shara was holding Steela on her lap while Edda brought her up to date on all the comings and goings among the beasts and beast riders. Saw was glaring pointedly at Sanjay who looked back at the child as if he had never seen such a creature in his life. Dane and Bremon and Geb seemed to have found common ground swapping stories about the adventures of dealing with a pregnant wife.

Melaana tapped her spoon against her water glass and waited for quiet so she could address them all. "I would like to thank you all again for coming. Having you all here is…well it's the best gift I could ever receive. I think we will go ahead and begin and then..."

"Dere he is!" Saw's voice piped up and the little boy pointed down the path. They all turned to see and Melaana rose from her seat and went to meet her final guest.

"I am sorry for my late arrival." He frowned guiltily at her.

She smiled back at him. "You're here now. That's what matters."

He touched her arm, meaning to guide her back to the table, but she suddenly felt light headed. The baby in her womb rolled over and she remembered something from a dream. There was a narrow corridor, steps running down and down, and a chamber with an archway on the far wall, a portal covered with a stone slab. She'd dreamed of the place more than once but in the most recent dream the runes on the slab had glowed red when she reached out to touch it.

"Are you alright, My Dear?" Uncle Nadd's voice was asking.

"Hm?" she looked up at him and it took her a moment to focus on his face. When she did she smiled again. It had only been a dream after all. "Yes, yes I'm fine. Baby kicked," she explained.

The two of them walked back to the table. Whatever that strange vision had been it must have lasted less than a second. No one else seemed aware that anything had happened. Only Naidon peered at her from the other end of the table, with concern.

Melaana put it from her mind and addressed her guests, again. "Well, now we're all here. Let's eat!"

The food was good and the fellowship even better but Melaana grew quiet after a while just watching everyone and listening and thinking. Bremon took her hand in his and kissed it. "Having a good time, Love?" he asked her.

She nodded and smiled at him. "Best Lifeday ever." But still there was something, a feeling she just couldn't shake, that she needed to enjoy the moment while it lasted. Something was coming, something that had to do with her recurring dream.


	46. concurrent

events progress simultaneously, 20 galactic standard years and several star systems apart.

* * *

The shortcut through the tunnels under the city were really her only option. Melaana, still fiercely independent at eight and a half months pregnant, was determined to make her way back and forth from her home in the jungle to visit her friends in the city. Edda would have been glad to pack up the kids and come to her but there was no way for Mina to make the trip with little Lux, and Melaana couldn't get enough of gazing at the sweet baby who was the Bonteris' pride and joy. She also couldn't bring Shara's gardens out to the jungle from where they were now being lovingly tended around the Rash estate.

Melaana was so pleased that her parents had agreed to allow her sister-in-law to cultivate the land rather than plow it up to lay the foundation for the projected new wing. Melaana's own garden could wait till next year. It wasn't even so bad to endure her mother fussing over her during the visits. Mother had ordered all sorts of things for the baby and would have them all shipped out to the Mel and Brem's place when they arrived.

No, for these visits, she couldn't simply climb into the cloudhopper. She couldn't even fit comfortably in the cockpit if she wanted to. And even Melaana herself knew her balance was too wonky right now to risk making the trip with Frayl. So into the tunnels she went.

"I still worry about you and Sanya." Bremon held her in his arms one morning when she was about to set out.

"We'll be fine. We've done it dozens of times." She told him, not in so much of a hurry to be away from his embrace.

"But you're getting so close to time. What if you go into labor somewhere and there's no one there to help or you can't get home."

She didn't want to cause him distress. "How about if Jay-three comes along with me? She can monitor me and send a message if I need help."

He didn't look completely assured but he nodded. "That would make me feel a little better."

She hugged him tighter, as well as she could with her belly between them. "And don't worry, Sanya hasn't said anything about wishing to come out and meet us early."

"Oh?" He smiled stepped back and laid both of his hands on the bulge of Melaana's abdomen. "And what does my baby have to say about the matter?"

Melaana grinned. "She says she's perfectly comfortable and Daddy will just have to be patient."

"Alright." Bremon sighed and let them both go off for their day of visiting. "But don't be too late. We'll have supper together when you get back."

"I can't wait." She gave him one last kiss and slipped out the door with the droid in tow.

* * *

Korkie stood outside the bedroom door. Soniee knew he was there. She could still sense him even though she was trying hard to cut herself off from the Force as much as possible. She knew Mij had passed on the message that she didn't want to see him but still he stood there.

She rose from her bed and crossed to the door, leaning against it. She knew he was just on the other side. She could almost feel the heat of his body through the panel but she could also still feel his blame.

"I'm so sorry." His words surprised her. What did he have to be sorry for?

She wanted to tell him that whatever it was that he thought he had done… he was forgiven. It was herself she could never forgive, and her guilt choked her.

"I think you must be able to hear me. I know you don't want to see me. I understand…"

Did he? Did he really understand that she had to get away so she wouldn't hurt him anymore, and that seeing him would only break her resolve?

"Mij said you want to leave Mandalore and… maybe that's… maybe that's for the best. I … I'll try not to make it any more difficult than it has to be…."

It wasn't that she wanted to. She had to go, to protect him and Lagos and Fox and Tracen and all the others, from the Empire, from herself. And he wasn't going to ask her to stay. He wasn't going to suggest that he come with her. He was right that would make things so much harder.

"Kriff, Soniee, I wish it didn't have to be this way." She felt a dull thud from the other side of the door. He must have knocked his head against it.

"So do I," she whispered. She didn't think he could hear her but he still paused as if waiting for her to say more. And then suddenly his presence was retreating at a fast pace down the hallway.

Soniee fumbled with the door control but her hands were shaking. Finally she got it open but he was already gone.

* * *

Melaana sighed. It had been a wonderful afternoon, tea with her mother and brother and Shara in the new garden. Mother worried that she was still making the trip this far along but she had J-3 there to explain that the exercise was good for her and the baby as long as she was comfortable doing it.

She managed to change the subject, regaling Shara with the story of a family vacation that the Rashes had taken when she was about 9 and Sanjay was 12. He had hated the drafty cabin they'd stayed in on the coast of the North Sea but he had fallen for his first crush.

"It was nothing serious." Sanjay rolled his eyes. "Lana Flint was already betrothed to the Clan Lord's son."

"Didn't stop me," Melaana giggled.

Her brother had just taken a bite of fruit. He held up a finger while he chewed and swallowed. "It never would have worked out." He took Shara's hand and laced her fingers with his own. "Terrible climate up there for fresh produce."

They had all laughed at that and Melaana was sorry to see that the chrono was already telling her that it was time to start back. She promised that she would come again soon, heaved herself out of her chair, and then made her way back towards the tunnel entrance at a quick waddle calling back over her shoulder to the droid to keep up.

The tunnel felt a good 10 degrees cooler than the city streets has and she was glad of the change at first. Then the temperature seemed to drop even more. She was headed down stairs and corridors that seemed familiar but J-3 remarked. "I do not believe this is the way we came mistress."

"Yeah," Melaana answered vaguely. "There's something I want to check out." Something was drawing her forward. She didn't know exactly where she was going and yet she never missed a step. She wasn't surprised at all when she finally came to a chamber that ended in the blocked archway.

She paused only a moment and mumbled, "I can do it this time. It will open."

Melaana reached out her hand as she crossed the room.

"Mistress, I don't think…" the droid began and then suddenly stopped as if she had been deactivated.

But Melaana didn't look back. She was not distracted from her goal. She saw the runes on the stone panel begin to glow red and then she laid her hand against it.

For a moment elation filled her as the panel shifted ever so slightly. And then both hands went to her stomach as it tightened in a painful contraction.

She cried out and then registered the movement behind her. Uncle Nadd was trying frantically to restart the droid to assist her if she was indeed going into labor. The pain began to ebb and Melaana backed away from the portal. She shivered, feeling a draft from a crack that appeared to have opened up at the bottom of the archway before it closed again.

She helped to reactivate J-3 and then sat on a low stone bench, feeling exhausted.

After a quick scan, the droid confirmed, "You are not in labor, Mistress. What you experienced was only a practice contraction. But what I do not know is why I was not aware to witness it. Did I experience a momentary fluctuation of power."

"Something like that." Naidon Kira frowned. He looked as if a great victory had just been snatched out of his hands.

Still trembling, Melaana asked, "Uncle Nadd, what is this place?"

"Don't you know it?"

There was something familiar about the chamber but she shook her head.

"Soon it will all make sense." His voice was warm and relaxing. It made her feel like laying down her head and going to sleep.

* * *

Soniee left her room twice a day to go to the refresher. She always did her best not to meet anyone in the hallway. Parja must have gone to stay near her shop in Enceri. And Fi had evidently gone to stay at another house where some of his brothers had arrived, deserters from the Republic that had become something else entirely.

Doctor Gilamar assured her that they would not come here, which meant that she more or less had the run of the house. She still stayed close to her room.

One day when she returned there after indulging in a long shower she found a couple of items that hadn't been there before. It disturbed her that someone had been there while she was gone but she knew that someone must have come regularly to clean up after her and change the bedding.

The objects themselves were almost as disturbing. A curved white piece of plastoid sat on top of the pile. She knew it at once as a piece of clone trooper armor, a shoulder plate. And when she got closer she saw the insignia of the Galactic Republic Senate painted on it in red. She remembered it well. It had belonged to Fox.

Soniee had always felt safe in Galactic City when Fox was beside her wearing that armor. But now he didn't need it anymore. He had a home and a family. She resisted the urge to stretch out into the Force and find out if Lagos was pregnant with his child.

She was dead to them now and that must have been how she came by this relic. Fox must have meant for her to be buried with it.

Soniee swallowed back a sob and picked up the next thing in the pile. It was a piloting jacket with runes embroidered onto the back. She had no idea what they said but they did resemble those that filled the journal that had belonged to her birth mother.

This was Melaana's jacket. She remembered _Ordo'buir_ showing it to her when she was little. It was the thing Momma had found her wrapped in when Veeka had pulled her out of the crash. She must have sent it with the _Bes'uliik_ before the destruction of Concord Dawn.

Soniee hugged the jacket, and felt the strong connection to both of her mothers. She knew then that looking up her biological family wouldn't be a disgrace to Veeka and _Ba'buir_. They had saved her and raised her and would always be part of her.

" _Vor Entye, Ordo'buir_."

* * *

Bremon paced back and forth across the lawn in front of the house, worried until he heard her footsteps and laughter as she came up the path with the droid. He ran to meet her, hugged her, and kissed her.

"Did you miss me?" Melaana asked, grinning up at him.

"Of course, I always miss you when we're apart." He wound a lock of her loose hair around his finger.

Then she broke away from him still grinning. "Well you'll just have to miss me for a little longer because I'd like to go to the 'fresher and clean up for supper." She couldn't exactly saunter seductively into the house with her present waddle but she did her best and he couldn't help but smile.

"I'll tell you all about my visit at dinner." She called back over her shoulder.

"I hope nothing too exciting happened while you were gone." He answered.

At the doorway she turned and looked back at him with a twinkle in her eye. "I did have a contraction on the way back. But just the one. Jay-three said it was only practice. Could be weeks still before the real thing." She disappeared into the house.

Bremon rounded on the droid. "She had a contraction! How bad was it? And just the one? How long did it last? That matters, doesn't it? The length and… and how far apart they are?"

J-3 took the barrage calmly. "It was only the one but I could not calculate the duration or severity because I seemed to suffer a momentary power fluctuation at the inception."

"A power fluctuation? You can't just…" Bremon was horrified. "What if it had been the real thing? This is what you're programmed for!"

"I am sorry, Master Bremon. I have been working on creating a backup system to keep me functional in such a case so that it will not happen again. It was lucky on this occasion that your uncle Naidon arrived when he did to reactivate me."

"My uncle?" He resumed his pacing. "You're telling me that Uncle Nadd just showed up at the exact moment when you had a power fluctuation and Mel had a contraction?"

"That is what happened, Master Bremon." The droid confirmed.

Bremon wasn't sure what it meant but he didn't like it. Melaana had spent months trying to reconcile nephew and uncle but Bremon still couldn't quite trust the man. If he had just been in the right place at the right time that was great but more often than not Uncle Nadd arranged the time and place of events to suit his purposes.

"Wait." Bremon surmised. "She was down in the tunnels when this happened." It wasn't a question. "Where were you in the tunnels?"

The droid answered in its usual infuriatingly calm mechanical voice. "It was not a part of the tunnels that I had previously visited. It was much deeper. Mistress Melaana had said that there was something she wished to... check out. She seemed as if she knew the way."

Bremon swore. He didn't like this at all.


	47. fly away

I've known this chapter was coming for a long time, but that doesn't make it any easier. Parts of it are straight out of the second chapter of the Ashla Spectrum. Now you have the opportunity to read what led up to that tragic event from another point of view.

* * *

"Mel," Bremon pleaded with her. "Don't make the trip to town alone again. I'll take the wagon and get whoever you want to come for a visit."

"Alright." She touched his face. "I'd rather be with you anyway and it won't be much longer until we won't be alone. We'll have Sayna here with us!" She smiled.

He left the care of the animals to someone else and spent almost all of his time with her. Visitors came and went.

Uncle Nadd seemed even more agitated than usual. Bremon didn't let him stay long when he came. He didn't want the old man to upset Melaana. And what the droid had said about the tunnels worried him.

One day Geb and Edda showed up with a beautiful cradle that he had carved. Steela got to try it out for a nap while the adults visited.

All of Mother's presents began arriving as well. Melaana didn't see how one tiny baby would need so many things. The nursery was surely ready whenever Sayna decided to make her appearance.

Shara sat outside with Melaana on one pleasant day and they discussed how they would plant the gardens the next spring. The baby would be at least crawling by then, perhaps even walking, and probably putting everything into its mouth. And also hopefully by then Shara and Sanjay would have one of their own on the way. Who knew what could happen in a year's time.

Sleeping became more and more uncomfortable for Melaana as the day drew closer. It wasn't uncommon for her to get up to go to the 'fresher several times in one night and rolling in and out of the bed was cumbersome at best. There were the nights when they would stay up timing what turned out to be only more 'practice' contractions. And then there were the dreams: stairs and corridors and chambers with blocked archways and glowing red runes.

Then one night Bremon woke to find Melaana gone from the bed beside him. At first he just figured she had gone to the 'fresher but something didn't feel right and then he thought he heard the front door open. Maybe she was warm and had gone out for some air but he wasn't going to take any chances. Hastily he jumped out of bed and pulled on a spare tunic and boots.

The front door was standing open when he got to it and for a moment he couldn't see her anywhere. Then he heard her footsteps shuffling down the path away from the house.

"Melaana!" He called rushing towards her. She didn't seem to hear. She just kept walking as if in a trance. "Melaana, Love, come back to bed." He tried not to start panicking as she continued on, unperturbed by his entreaty.

Her lips were moving but he had to lean close to make out the words. "It will open this time. It will…"

"This time? Mel, what are you trying to open? It's just a dream. Come on back home, Love, please?"

"I have to open it, see what's inside…"

"No, Mel! You need to come home with me!"

But she just kept forging ahead. He tried to stand in front of her. She went around. He tried to hold her back. She shook him off. He hardly noticed where they were headed until they reached the entrance to the tunnels. She took the steps quickly but with sure and steady footing.

"Frack! What has he done to you?" Bremon mumbled as he followed behind her. He remembered these passages as she led him ever deeper.

When they reached the last chamber, Uncle Nadd was waiting there for her. Bremon hung back at the entrance watching with horror.

She didn't seem to even notice the old man, but he looked elated. She continued straight to the archway in the far wall and laid her hand on the slab of stone. "I can open it now," she said, her voice stronger. The runes on the surface of the stone began to glow red and a grinding noise indicated the slow movement of the slab.

"Gah!" She cried out one hand moving to her stomach but the other determinedly pressing against the stone as it rose one centimeter at a time.

"No! Melaana stop!" Bremon ran out from his hiding spot. He placed his hands on her shoulders and with more effort than it should have taken to move the small young woman, wrenched her away from the archway. She collapsed into his arms in a faint and the stone slab thudded back down into its original position.

"You must let her finish the work!" Uncle Nadd screamed. Rushing towards the couple.

"No! I won't let you use her!" Bremon threw up his free arm in an awkward defense but it caught Naidon Kira squarely and caused him to stumble back.

The old man got his footing and came at them again. "Neither your wife or the child will be harmed. They will save us all! You'll see! The child has a marvelous destiny. Let her open the chamber!"

Bremon realized then, it wasn't Melaana opening the door. It was the child somehow working through her, his child, the child of the prophecy. And he realized something else, he loved that child and he would protect that child with his life just as he would protect Melaana. He had to get them both away from this place, from this whole cursed planet and from his uncle's plans for them.

"Go to hell!" Bremon growled at his uncle. He scooped Melaana, still unconscious, up into his arms and started to carry her out of the chamber and up the seemingly endless stairs. It was a monumental effort at the beginning. It seemed that the child was drawn to that evil place like a magnet.

"It's for your own good, Sayna. Please trust, Daddy." He whispered. And then the work became easier. Could the child actually hear him? Could she really listen and understand? "I love you, Sayna, no matter what."

Still he ran, up the stairs, and out into the fresh night air. Melaana stirred in his arms. "Brem, what happened? Where are we?"

"We're on our way home, Love, and we're going to pack for a little trip." He hugged her tight.

"I thought you wanted me to stay close to home until Sayna is born." She looked around at the direction he was carrying her.

"Change of plans." He told her. "It's not safe here, for you or Sayna. Can you walk?"

"Yes, I think so."

He lowered her carefully to her feet and together they hurried as fast as she could go. "I don't understand." She looked up at him worried by his actions and manor. "Where are we going? Why isn't it safe here?"

He stopped walking and looked at her seriously in the eye. "It's Uncle Nadd. He…"

"It's something to do with my dreams, isn't it? That place in the tunnels. He wants to use Sayna to get inside."

He nodded, the horror and rage at the very idea plain in his tortured expression. "That ship Bonteri gave you, it's still at the docking bay, isn't it?"

"Yes." She looked a little embarrassed even under the current circumstances. "He left it in my name."

"Good." He gave her a relieved smile and kissed her forehead. "It's just the thing to get us out of here."

They started racing towards the house again hand in hand.

"We'll have to hurry, only pack what we can carry." He told her as they ran.

"And Jay-three." Melaana slowed them both to a stop, free hand going to her stomach as her teeth clenched in pain.

"A contraction? Now?" He asked supporting her.

She nodded and took deep breaths as the pain ebbed. "I'm alright now. Let's keep moving. We've walked them off before." She reminded him.

Somehow he knew this wasn't like before.

At the house he threw clothes for both of them into a pack. Melaana went to the nursery and grabbed a few of the adorable little outfits that her mother had ordered and sent over, and also a package of diapers. She looked around the specially prepared room and wondered if they would come back and lay Sayna in the cradle and rock her in the rocking chair, or if they would have to settle someplace far away.

Another contraction gripped her and she cried out, dropping the things she had gathered. Bremon was at her side in an instant but the pain was already beginning to fade. "How long since the last one?" He asked holding her.

"I don't know." She breathed. "Fifteen? Twenty minutes?"

He turned around to the droid who was coming up behind them down the hall. "You logged this one so we can be sure of the next, Jay-three?"

"Yes, Master Bremon." The droid's sensors did a sweep over Melaana's mid section. "Dilation has not progressed beyond two centimeters. I would hypothesize that she still has some time before delivery, hours, if not days."

"Good." Bremon nodded. He bent to pick up the things Melaana had dropped and stuffed them into the pack with everything else. Then he stood again and asked, "Mel, is there anything else you want to have with us? Can't be anything really big but…"

Melaana nodded. She was still distracted by what J-3 had just said. Sayna could be born in just a few hours! "My - uh - my journal." She shook her head to clear it. "a-and my piloting jacket."

"You know where they are, Jay-three?" He asked.

"Yes Master. I will retrieve the items."

"Good, then you can meet us outside." He led his wife out of the door and helped her up into the back of the wagon. The droid arrived with the things Melaana had requested while he hitched up a pair of dalgos.

"Everything ready?" Bremon asked as he jumped up onto the wagon seat.

Melaana was looking back at the house and thinking of all the plans they had made for the place. "Will we ever come back here?" There were tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

He leaned back and brushed a bit of moisture from her cheek. "Of course we will." He told her, but Bremon wasn't sure of that himself.

* * *

Soniee had finally been given leave by the doctor to travel. She had a destination in mind, she thought as she looked at the journal among her other few belongings that she had left to pack. Then she picked up the old jacket and looked at the runes embroidered on the back. "I'll figure this out somehow."

She pulled the jacket on over her flight suit that was borrowed from, no, it was a gift, from Parja. She wouldn't be coming back here to return it. Her holonotebook, a few clothing items that were now too big on her, Fox's shoulder plate, and the helmet Bo had given her before her trip to Coruscant.

That felt like a lifetime ago. It was a lifetime ago. Oron's.

Soniee blinked the tears from her eyes. She had to keep moving. She could cry in hyperspace.

Mij had told her that Parja had fixed up her ship with new transponder codes and that it was waiting for her. Soniee hadn't told anyone when she planned to leave but there didn't seem to be any point in waiting any longer.

Gathering her meager belongings she walked down the hall and out into the sunshine for the first time in weeks. She blinked and raised a hand to shade her eyes and there was the B-7 waiting for her. Fox had procured that ship for her. She and Korkie had spent their wedding night in the cabin and so many nights after that. No! She wouldn't cry now. She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again determined to get on her way.

She opened the hatch and found the two _Bes'uliik_ war droids. They hadn't been used in the siege. She hardly needed them where she was going but they were a legacy from Momma Ordo she couldn't get rid of them for that reason alone.

As she continued through the cargo hold she noticed three trunks, clothing that had once belonged to Duchess Satine. She couldn't see these being useful either but there was the sentimental value attached to a few of the garments, especially her wedding dress. Again tears threatened.

She hurried down the corridor, past the cabin she had shared with her husband, and made her way to the cockpit. She would sleep here in the pilot's seat if it meant not having to flood her mind with memories.

Then she heard a familiar creaking of mechanical limbs. "Mistress Soniee?"

She must have walked right past the droid without thinking. "1K0 you're here!"

"Of course, Mistress. Did you forget about me? You have been busy with other things."

"I have, but I am sorry for forgetting." Soniee was thankful for the droid's presence. "Are you ready to accompany me on another adventure?"

"I do not see how my particular specialty will be of much use on this venture but I am glad to be of service in any capacity you desire of me."

Soniee sighed, setting her most important possessions in the co-pilot's seat. "I could use a friend, 1K0."

"I will do my best to fulfill that occupation and I shall take in the clothes that no longer fit your smaller figure."

Soniee didn't like to think of why her clothes needed to be taken in she just smiled at the droid. "Thanks, 1K0." She looked out the view port. There was nothing familiar about this place where they had brought her to convalesce in secret. If she'd been leaving from Enceri or Sundari she knew it would be much harder. She looked over the controls and started the pre-flight checks. She primed the engines and began calculating the jump to Onderonian space so she wouldn't have to do it later once she was in orbit over _Manda'yaim_. She knew she wouldn't want to linger over the planet for longer than she had to.

She was nearly ready to take off when she saw the figure pull up on a speeder bike and stop at the edge of the landing field. It was Korkie and their eyes met through the viewport. He raised his hand but her own, trembling, remained on the controls. Why did he have to show up now and make this so much more difficult?

Unconsciously her mind reached out to his in the Force and she heard his thoughts, " _Ret'urcye mhi._ " It was the Mando'a for 'goodbye' but the literal translation was, 'Maybe we'll meet again.' She couldn't allow that hope to take root. It hurt to badly.

Soniee pulled back on the controls and the B-7 lifted off the ground.

* * *

A little over an hour and four contractions later the Kiras arrived at the docking bay. Bremon lifted his wife out of the back of the wagon and surveyed her anxiously. "Are you okay?"

Melaana smiled bravely. "As well as can be expected."

He gave her a kiss and began to gather their things. "Let's go."

Melaana used her codes to open the proper hatches and they found the Ruping Queen ready and waiting for them, full of fuel for a decent length journey. "How far will we have to go?" she asked her husband.

"I don't know. Just someplace safe." He looked back the way they had come when he heard footsteps.

Naidon Kira must have anticipated their move and made his way here through the tunnels under the city. "You can't take the child from me!" He was holding a staff that seemed to radiate with electricity. Melaana had no idea if it was powered to do so like some sort of vibro-pike or if the power was coming from a magik that the man himself was emanating.

"Melaana, get on board with the droid. Let me handle this," Bremon whispered to his wife.

"Brem, I won't go without you!" she cried, but she did as he asked. He would come. He had to.

"You can't have them, either of them!" He defied the old man. "You're going to let us go in peace."

"It's you who does not know what you are doing!" Naidon Kira screeched desperately. "You must let me have the child!"

Melaana felt another contraction building up inside of her but she stood at the ship's boarding hatch crying, "Please, Brem! Come on!"

The old wizard advanced and Bremon countered to stay between him and the ship. "Melaana get in the air! I will follow you. I will find you."

They clashed, Brem without a weapon against the old man's staff.

"No, Brem!"

"Go, Melaana! Now!"

She stumbled to the cockpit and tried through her tears and the pain of the contraction to do as he asked. He would follow! He would find her! Outside she thought she heard him cry out in pain but she was already lifting off. "I don't know where to go!" she clamped her eyes shut and a series of numbers and letters, hyperspace coordinates, seemed to materialize in her mind. She punched them into the computer. But how will he know where I've gone? The last thing she did before she made the jump into hyperspace was to send a copy of the coordinates to the last comm link ID that was left in the ship's memory. It was Dane's, she thought as the stars lengthened into streaks. He could get the message to Bremon. Bremon would know where to find her.

She still didn't know where she was going but it didn't really seem to matter. Melaana pulled out her journal and began to scribble furiously in the same runes that filled the rest of the book. She wrote about all that had happened in the last few weeks. About the people she loved. She wrote about Sanjay and Shara, and Geb and Edda and they're children. She wrote about Mina and Dane and little Lux. And she wrote about how much she loved her husband and hoped beyond all hope that he had survived the fight with his uncle that that he would be along to find her soon. Because he would be! Bremon would find a ship, any ship. He would follow the coordinates she had sent and he would find her… if he didn't hurry with a baby already in her arms.

"Jay-three!" Melaana cried. But the droid was already one step ahead of her performing the scan.

"Five centimeters dilation, Mistress. You are progressing faster than I had anticipated." J-3 laid a hand on her arm though whether it was to perform another scan or some attempt at programed bedside manor, Melaana didn't know. "I am capable of delivering the infant but we do not have a full medical kit aboard. It may be wise to bring the ship out of hyperspace to find assistance from whatever the local population may offer. Do you know where we are headed, Mistress?"

Melaana pulled up a star chart and entered in the coordinates she had not quite randomly chosen. What had made her choose that spot, she didn't know. She looked at the chart and rubbed her belly, now relaxed between contractions. "Did you want to go to Mandalore, Sanya? Because it looks like that's where we're headed."

J-3 approved of the destination, a place that was mostly human or near human habitation. Getting medical help shouldn't be too hard. But wasn't there something Melaana had heard about Mandalore on the news holos? Weren't they in the middle of a civil war?

* * *

Soniee stared out at the blue haze of hyperspace, thinking of all she was leaving behind and all that she hoped to find at the end of her journey. She reached over and picked up the journal from the pile of belongings. She opened the cover to the end, the most recent entries. The Galactic Standard date of her own birth was scrawled in Basic at the top of the page.

Here the runes were shaky and uneven. In places they were blurred by what she was almost sure were tears. The whole story was here, if Soniee could only decipher it. "Why did you do it? Why did you leave your home and your family and my father? What were you running from?" Soniee glanced up at the chrono glowing on the instrument panel. The numbers for the date were the same, twenty years apart. She hadn't even remembered it was her lifeday. She looked out the view port again. This is what Melaana saw, flying the opposite direction, of course, but twenty years ago her mother was in this same place, in a freighter, hurtling through hyperspace.

* * *

She didn't want to do it. She wanted to come out of hyperspace right at the coordinates she had sent to Dane so Brem could find her more easily, but the contractions were right on top of each other now and J-3 said it wouldn't be long now before it would be time to push.

Melaana dropped the engines to sub-light speed and opened a comm channel. There were ships here. She hoped they were friendly ships that could help her but she didn't have time to dwell on it. A contraction gripped her and she screamed. "Someone help! Please! The baby's coming and I..." another scream of pain and then the channel went to static as two torpedoes slammed into the side of the Ruping Queen.

A second later and the ship rocked in the opposite direction, taking fire from the other side. She had dropped right into the middle of a battle but none of that seemed to matter. J-3 spoke as calmly as if they were back at home and Melaana was lying on her own bed. "Push now, slowly. The head is coming."

The open channel crackled back to life. A tough female voice called out. "Onderon Freighter, do you copy!"

The voice went to static and then Melaana heard the most beautiful sound she had ever heard in her life, her own child's first cry.

"It is a girl, Mistress." J-3 announced and more than anything Melaana wanted to take the baby in her arms. She watched as the droid wrapped the tiny squirming creature in the nearest available piece of fabric, the piloting jacket.

The other voice was frantically calling her through the static, "Freighter, you need to pull up or you're going to hit the atmosphere hot!"

"Yes, I..." Melaana sat up as best she could. "Jay-three secure her for a bumpy landing."

"Yes, Mistress." The droid obeyed taking the baby back through the hatch toward the cabins.

"I'm just going to..." The Melaana grunted with the effort of pulling back on the controls and thankfully saw the horizon level out a bit as they approached the planet. They were still going down but at least they wouldn't burn up in the atmosphere.

"Good job, Freighter." The other female pilot encouraged through the comm. "Sounds like congratulations are in order."

"Yes," Melaana felt exhausted but she tried to keep talking. "Went into labor in hyperspace. Dropped out to try to get... some... help..."

"Stay with me!" the woman yelled through the comm at her, trying to keep her awake.

"I'm, here..." Though she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Good, good." The fighter pilot angled her craft to stay as close to the Ruping Queen's wing as she could safely manage. "And I'm right there with you. The droid said you had a girl."

"Yes." Melaana's voice brightened a bit. "Never considered any boy names. Had the name Sanya picked out since I... found out..." She had to stay awake. Had to…But she could feel the Queen dropping into a steeper dive.

"Soniee!" The fighter pilot said a little louder trying to keep her attention. "That's a beautiful name! I've always wanted to have children, so far, no luck."

Melaana pulled up and then lapsed into Onderonian. "Brem ,I miss you. I'm trying. It's so hard. I'm so tired. I heard her. I heard her voice. It was beautiful, Brem. Maybe she'll be able to sing like you." And then knowing her voice was never as good as his she started to mumble a lullaby. It was a beast riders' song, one she had heard Edda and Saw sing to Steela. She imagined them and smiled the song fading from her lips.

"Stay with me!" the other pilot nearly growled from the comm link.

"I'm not gonna…" Melaana continued in Onderonian. "Daddy will find you, Sanya." and then she remembered to switch to Basic so the other woman would understand her. "Take care of my Sanya…"

She had passed out before the freighter skimmed the tree canopy, before the crash. She didn't feel a thing.


	48. epilogue: Dane's Mission

the aftermath of Melaana's flight and the people who's lives she touched.

* * *

It had been a long night. Of course most nights were long when you had a two month old who didn't yet know the difference between that and the day time. Now that the sun had fully risen Lux Bonteri was sleeping like the proverbial baby.

Dane rolled over and snuggled up to his amazing wife. She had been so patient and strong through all of the scandal and stress.

"You don't have to go in today, do you?" She asked.

He kissed her. "No, my love. Not unless there's an emergency and they send a…"

The comm unit on the bedside table chimed.

"Oh, just ignore it." Mina sighed. "I'll make up some diplomatic reason why I need you to stay home."

But Dane jumped right out of bed. He didn't want the chime to wake the baby.

There were actually two comms. The first was only text, a series of numbers and letters. Coordinates? They'd been sent from… the Ruping Queen?

Dane would check that out later. The second comm was on the emergency militia channel and needed his direct attention. "Lt. Bonteri here. What's the situation?"

"Lieutenant, there's been a disturbance at the docks. One of the boys went to check on an unscheduled takeoff from bay 37."

"Bay 37?" Dane asked. That couldn't be a coincidence with the text he'd just received.

"That's right, Sir." The private continued. "Stevos went down to check it out and there was this old guy with some sort of vibro-pike having it out with a younger man. Seemed to be arguing about the freighter that just took off."

"Did he get the fight broken up? Men in custody?"

"It's a- No Sir. At the moment it's a standoff. Younger man is pretty beat up. He was unarmed. But the crazy old guy won't let anyone get near him."

"I'll be right there! Bonteri out!" Dane was already pulling on his uniform.

"Dane, what's wrong?" Mina asked sitting up behind him and laying a hand on his shoulder.

He sighed trying to make sense of the information himself. "Mel's ship left the hanger. Sounds like Bremon and that uncle of his are having a row about it."

"You don't think Melaana flew off somewhere? She's due to give birth any time!" Mina was getting out of bed now also and searching for clothes to throw on as quickly as she could.

"I don't know. Someone sent me coordinates from the Ruping Queen. Could be wherever it was flying to. I'm headed down to the docking bay to try to do something about this stand off."

"Should I contact the Rashes and the Gerreras? Geb's gotten Kira to stand down before and Melaana's family should know something's going on."

"You can comm them but we don't have much information yet." He pulled on his boots and paused to give her a quick kiss. "I'll let you know as soon as I find out so you can pass it on."

He rushed out and she called after him, "Be careful, Dane!" It wasn't easy being married to a soldier even when it was supposedly peacetime.

Mina took a deep breath to collect her thoughts and then placed the necessary comms.

* * *

Mina and Etta tried to calm the frantic Lady Rash who had arrived at the med center with her husband and son and daughter-in-law, demanding answers, over an hour before. Bremon lying unconscious but stable, on the bed between them, was waiting for the next available bacta tank. Shara to the annoyance of her husband was sitting on a chair holding the injured man's hand.

"Where is my daughter?" Lady Rash asked again as soon as she saw another uniform enter the room. This time the uniform belonged to someone who could actually answer a few of their questions but not all of them.

Dane raised a hand to quiet the barrage so he could speak. "We don't know exactly where she is at this time."

Lady Rash whimpered, and looked likely to faint. Her husband supported her. "They're looking for her, Dear," said Lord Rash. "You are searching for her, aren't you, Lieutenant?"

"Yes! We are doing everything we can. I'm afraid we won't know the full story until Bremon awakes and can tell us his side of it. I can inform you that we have Naidon Kira in custody and what we've gathered from him is that Melaana was aboard the freighter when it took off and left Onderonian space. She was accompanied by the midwife droid J3-6TN."

"But where was she goin' and why?" Edda asked what all of them wanted to know.

"Kira hasn't been quite as clear about that." Dane frowned. "He has expressed that he was not the one who wanted her to leave the planet. That it was Bremon who told her to go and then fought his uncle to keep him from stopping her."

Sanjay drew his gaze away from his wife's hands holding the other man's. "But where is she now?" He burst out.

Dane swallowed. "I received a communication from the Ruping Queen before it left the system. It was only a series of numbers and letters but I believe it to be the coordinates of where the ship was headed. I have not, and I may hazard a guess that no one else here has received any further communication, from Melaana?"

"Would we be asking you where she was if we had?" Lady Rash snapped. "What does it all mean? Where is my baby?"

"And her baby." Shara looked up. "For all we know she could have had it already."

There was a mumble amongst all of those present and then Dane quieted them again. "It could be that she is still in hyperspace and hasn't had the chance to contact any of us but I for one would rather not wait. I think that we all should stay close to our commlinks in case she does try to contact one of us and I am going to check out these coordinates myself. I'll be in hyperspace for some time so I will check in as soon as I reach the spot and hopefully one of you will have heard from her by then."

"Maybe Bremon will be awake by then as well and he can give us some more information." Mina smiled encouragingly around at them all.

Dane squeezed her hand appreciatively and nodded. "If none of us have heard anything, I promise, I will scour the area and leave no stone unturned until I find her."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Lord Rash clasped the younger man's shoulder as he turned to go.

"Lieutenant?" Shara spoke up before he had made it out the door. "Where do the coordinates lead?"

He looked back over his shoulder. "Mandalore."

* * *

The pilot available to fly Dane to Mandalore Space turned out to be none other than the flight instructor that he had employed to teach Melaana when he had given her the freighter. The woman had also grown fond of her pupal. But then everyone who knew Melaana Rash-Kira was bound to love her. The pilot was as determined in the search as Dane was himself.

"Dropping out of hyperspace now, Lieutenant." She informed him.

"Good." He answered. "You know the Queen and her transponder codes so keep your eyes open. I'm going to contact Onderon and see if there's any news there."

"Aye, Sir." The pilot nodded and decreased the engines to sublight speed. The space was clear, not a vessel in sight, but the pilot got right to work scanning for the Queen's transponder.

Meanwhile Dane went to the cabin and put a comm through to his wife. He could have chosen any of their IDs but he trusted that the senator's assessment of the situation would be clear and concise. Not to mention that he just wanted to hear the reassuring tone of her voice.

"Mina?" He said as soon as her image appeared over the projector. "Have you heard anything?"

"Not from Melaana, no." She shook her head, expression clearly distressed even in the holo image. "But oh, Dane, it's been terrible. Naidon Kira escaped and came here to the med center. He tried to attack his nephew again. He seems to blame Bremon for sending the child away. Dane he…" here her voice broke and she covered her mouth with her hand for a moment before she was able to continue.

It was a rare thing for Mina to appear so at a loss and Dane wished he could reach out to her.

"Kira had some sort of plans for the child." She finally said. "He flew into a rage when he couldn't get to Bremon to exact revenge for the loss of his prize and He turned on the Rashes. He…" she shook her head as if she couldn't quite believe what she was going to say next. "Dane, he cursed their family. He said that the House of Rash would end with this generation and never produce an heir of that name."

"Was he apprehended? Is he back in custody?" Dane asked.

"Not immediately. Though if they've found him by now I don't know. Dane, have you found anything?"

"Not yet. We've only just arrived."

Mina nodded. "Well as soon as you do... Lady Rash is distraught. I think she might actually believe in that curse nonsense."

"And if you all hear anything." Dane requested.

She smiled sadly. "I'll comm you straight away."

"Till then. And we will find her!" He ended the comm as a tremor shook the ship. Dane hurried to the cockpit.

"What's wrong?" He asked the pilot.

"It's them, Lieutenant." She gestured toward the viewport where a _Kom'rk_ class fighter was menacing them. "I think they'd rather shoot first and ask questions later."

"Open a channel." Dane instructed. And she did so. "My name is Lieutenant Dane Bonteri of Onderon. We haven't come to start a fight only to search for a freighter that we believe was lost somewhere near here."

There was a horrible moment when they waited to find out if the Mandalorian vessel would respond with words or particle beams.

"Lieutenant Dane Bonteri, do you have the transponder code of the missing freighter?"

"I - we do!" he gestured to the pilot to send the code and she did so.

There was another pause.

"Nothing like that has appeared in this corner of space. But sit tight, Bonteri and we'll send out a query and see if any of our brothers have spied your freighter."

"Thank you. That's all I ask." Dane sighed.

"And sorry about that little _kov'nyn_. If we did any damage to your hyperdrive, we can point you in the direction of a reputable mechanic."

The comm ended and Dane looked at the pilot, confused.

"That tremor you felt earlier?" She indicated the instrument panel. "A direct shot to our hyperdrive. Seems they didn't want us to get away till they got the measure of us."

"Friendly, these Mandalorians." Dane frowned. "At least they're going to look for Mel's ship and fix the damage."

"I'm sure that last part won't come cheap."

* * *

Two galactic standard hours later the _Kom'rk_ finally hailed them. " _Ver'alor'ika_ , we think we've found your freighter or at least someone who registered that transponder before they tumbled to their own fiery death."

"What? Where?" Dane was almost dozing in the co-pilot's seat when the comm came in but now he was wide awake.

"You overshot a couple of systems. Your freighter was last seen over Concord Dawn. Sending you the coordinates now."

The pilot nodded to him as the numbers came in.

"Thank you, very much!" Dane smiled for the first time since the first comm came in that morning.

"You're in luck as well. Best mechanic in the Mandalore territory's on Concord Dawn. You look up Veeka Ordo and she'll set your drive to rights."

"Thank you, again."

"No thanks for the blasted hyperdrive." The pilot grumbled after the comm had been shut off and they were on their way to the new destination.

"Doesn't matter." said Dane. "If it gets us to Melaana. It'll be worth it."

* * *

Araniik Ordo paced the machine shop waiting for his daughter's return. He supposed there were enough times that he had made she and her mother wait, wondering if he'd come back from this battle or that hunt. He surely didn't like being on this side of things. He'd seen the fireball descend from the heavens but he'd checked the transponders on the _gayi'kaab_ for the ships still flying and knew that Veeka's wasn't the doomed fighter. He'd felt the reverberations in the ground when a second craft came down closer to _yaim_. That was the one he was worried about.

Finally, when he'd just about decided to go and check out the crash site, he heard her voice. "Home, _Buir_ ," She called out. "Sorry I didn't comm. Had some business to take care of."

He heard something else as well, a mewling, whimpering sound. Surely she hadn't brought home some helpless animal. She'd done that plenty of times as a child and it never ended well. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of what was actually cradled in her arms.

"Veeka Ordo, only you would come home from a battle with a baby."

She smiled at him. "Ah _Buir_ I'm sure it's not the first time in the history of the Mando'ad." Then her loving gaze returned to the infant. "I adopted her. She's mine. Isn't she beautiful?"

Araniik came over for a closer look. He was prepared to be stern and aloof but the newborn who blinked up at him from his daughter's arms captured his heart before he had a chance. "Wherever did you find her?" He touched the hand and tiny fingers wrapped around his larger one. A good blaster grip, that. She'd be a markswoman when she got old enough.

"Her mother's freighter was hit during the fight. Right before this one was born, near as I can figure. Don't know why she came out of hyperspace right then or why she was flying that kriffing close to time for her to deliver."

Araniik put his hands over the child's ears. "You're going to have to be more careful about the language now, Veeka. Don't want her growin' up with a foul mouth like yours."

His daughter's eyes widened as if she hadn't put much thought into the actual parenting of the _ad'ika_. He supposed she hadn't but then what parent is ever fully ready for that responsibility even if they've had the usual nine months to prepare.

"Her mother was _aruetii_?"

Veeka nodded. "Ship was from Onderon and I mentioned that system. She didn't say any different."

"You spoke to her?" Araniik was surprised.

"Yeah." She smiled at the baby, clearly enchanted. "It was she who told me to take care of Son'ika. Before the crash…"

"Son'ika?"

"Her mother, had the name all picked out. Soniee or somethin' like that. That's what it sounded like when she said it. I thought it was pretty. Didn't see any reason to change it."

"And what if somebody comes along looking for Son'ika?" He asked.

"Well, I already adopted her. She's mine. But also…" Veeka hesitated. "Her momma had to have been running from somethin', to be all the way out here dropin' out of hyperspace the way she did. All alone. Well, with the med droid anyway."

Araniik now noticed the droid which had followed his daughter into the shop. It had obviously been through some sort of trauma, limbs twisted and torso dented from some sort of impact. "I am J3-6TN, medical droid specializing in prenatal, labor, and delivery care," it introduced itself in a cool female voice.

"Thought it might come in handy. I'll fix it up." Veeka shrugged.

"Might want to wipe the memory as well." Araniik mused. "Droid, is it true? This child's mother was running from something."

"I do believe so. We were packed into the freighter rather quickly and instructed to 'get in the air.'"

"See." said Veeka. "If anybody comes lookin', it could be the wrong sort. The ones that might want to do her harm." She held the baby protectively and kissed her forehead.

"I suppose that's true." Araniik agreed. "And you already said the words to adopt her?"

" _Elek, Buir_."

He shook his head. "Just one more thing I'd like to know. This droid looks like it's been through Haran and the mother was killed in the crash. How did this one survive without a scratch?" He touched the dark curls on the infant's head.

"Well," Veeka looked a little apprehensive now for the first time since she'd walked in. "She's special, _Buir_. I think she might, have some _Jetii_ in her."

He drew back his hand as a reflex but then sighed. It wasn't the child's fault. Could have something to do with whatever her mother was running away from though. "It's not gonna be easy raising one of their sort. She'll have to be taught to keep it to herself."

"I know, _Buir_. But she's mine an' we'll fly that mission when we come to it."

* * *

Dane entered the garage and called out, "Hello?"

His pilot had set the ship down just outside but he wanted to make sure this was the place before they tried to bring it in.

An older gentleman was sitting on a stool behind a counter wiping grease from some sort of tool with a dirty cloth. "Hello yourself. You got somethin' needs fixin', _aruetii_?"

"I do." Dane gave him what he hoped translated as a friendly nod to the Mandalorian. "Hyperdrive on my ship got blasted. I was told Veeka Ordo was the best mechanic for parsecs. This is her shop. Is it not?"

"It is, and she is. What, eh, brings you to these parts?"

"A friend." Dane said with an honest smile. "Her freighter was sighted near here. Onderonian model, light freighter?"

"Haven't seen anything like that here." the man shook his head. "Was a ship that went down a couple of kliks to the east. Hope that wasn't your friend."

"I hope so too but I will check it out. Thank you." Dane's smile didn't seem to have any effect on the old man. In fact he looked at Dane as if he were wary that the young man might try to force an answer out of him with some sort of Jedi mind trick. Dane tried to keep his demeanor as friendly and peaceful as possible. "Is Veeka Ordo here today? Is there a chance she might be able to get us functioning and on our way?" It was the right question to ask. Dane got the impression that getting him on his way was exactly what these Mandalorians were most interested in.

"She'll be down soon enough."

They both looked up toward the ceiling as the unmistakable sounds of an infant crying floated down from the apartment above. And then a frustrated female voice joined it. " _Buir_ I just don't know what to do. I can't seem to get her to…" The owner of the voice, a young woman with dirty blonde hair and still wearing half her armor came plodding down the stairs holding a tiny baby in her arms. She stopped speaking immediately when she clapped eyes on Dane.

"This is my daughter Veeka." The old man made the introduction. "And the little one is my granddaughter." He glared at Dane for a moment as if daring him to argue.

Dane nodded politely. "I have a son only a little bigger than that back home."

"Then why the kriff aren't you back home with him?" She scowled.

"Veek," the old man attempted to diffuse his daughter's temper, "our _Onderonian_ friend here has a blasted hyperdrive. He won't be going anywhere until it's patched up."

The baby's crying started up again and Veeka left off glaring at Dane to look lovingly at her child. "It's alright, _ad'ika_. _Buir_ 's here, everything's gonna be just fine."

Dane could see that for all the young woman's bluster she really did love her baby. It made him think again of Lux. And it made him think of the baby that Melaana was due to deliver any time. "Please." He said more somber than before. "A friend of mine was flying a freighter. It's transponder was registered near here. If you know anything. I'm here to find out what happened so I can bring back word to her family."

Father and daughter looked at each other. Then Veeka handed the baby to her father.

" _Babuir'll_ get ya t'sleep _ad'ika_ ," he whispered to the infant as he climbed the stairs up to the apartment.

Veeka took a deep breath while she watched them go. "There was a crash near here. Similar craft to the one you got parked out front. Onderon right?"

"That's correct." He nodded fearing the worst.

"I saw the wreckage. It was bad. No one could've walked away from that." She told him, soberly.

Dane wasn't normally given to public shows of emotion but the news hit him hard. Tears fell and a sob choked him.

Veeka appeared to be uncomfortable watching. "Look, it's about an hour walk due east to the crash site. You go on. I'll get your ship fixed up so you can get back and deliver your news. It's uh… no charge, alright?"

"Thank you." He managed before hurrying from the garage.

* * *

He couldn't bear the thought of giving that kind of news over a comm. After Dane had gone to see the wreckage and come back to find that the repairs were finished. He thought he would thank Veeka Ordo again for her help but he was told by her father that she was busy with the baby.

"She was right, you know." Dane told the old man. "I should be home with my son and my wife. Life is too short, too uncertain not to spend as much time of it as we can with our loved ones."

He did send a short comm to Mina to let her know that they were back in space and on the way back to Onderon.

"It's not good news, is it?" She asked him.

"No. No it's not."

* * *

Telling the family was the hardest thing that Dane had ever done in his life. He was fairly sure it was the hardest thing he would ever do. But that sound, the deep animal howl of anguish that tore itself from Bremon's throat, Dane knew he would take that to his grave.

"It's my fault." Bremon rocked back and forth on the edge of the med center bed. "I told her to go. It's my fault. I should have gone with her. It's all my fault!"

Lady Rash's shrieks weren't helping. "If it wasn't for you my daughter would still be here! I would be holding my grandchild now! Who knows if I'll ever have that opportunity now." Her glare turned on Shara. "We will of course be going on with adding the new wing. It will be dedicated to Mel-" her voice broke with emotion. "To Melaana's memory."

Shara who had not paid any attention to the original glare now looked up in horror. "The garden was Mel's idea!"

Then Sanjay still preoccupied by the care his wife seemed to be showering on Bremon burst out. "Maybe if you'd focus less on your flowers and more on other things…"

"Please!" Mina stood between them. "This is hardly the place for an argument."

"And you are hardly one to talk." Lady Rash stood up to the senator. "If it hadn't been for you my daughter would be alive and well and married to the Lieutenant!"

It was Geb who finally broke up the conflict with his booming bass voice. He appealed to Lord Rash to escort his family home though when asked to go with them Shara informed them that she was staying and would find her own way home.

Edda and Mina each made their way home to relieve their babysitters while their husbands became a sort of bodyguard for the patient. Shara sat with Bremon until the doctor came with sedative. Once her friend had entered into a calm dreamless sleep she slipped out of the room.

"Would you like Geb or I to see you home?" Dane asked her politely.

Shara shook her head but she didn't immediately make a move to leave. "It really was Melaana holding us all together wasn't it?"

Dane looked over at Geb and they both nodded. "She was the best of us."

"And what's going to happen us now?" She asked with a barely controlled tremor in her voice.

Dane took a shaky breath. "I'm sure I don't know."


	49. part 3 teaser

First I must thank everyone who has read and followed or favorited this story and its prequel. Special thanks to Lux's Sister for all your help with Onderonian history and letting me bounce ideas off of you and reading and commenting and letting me borrow/steal your clans of the Northern Sea. Hopefully soon the two of us will post some of the stories that we've been co-authoring that spin off of Shara's adventures. Till then…

I went back and read the first chapters of Soniee's story and noticed first that she was sure she would never get the chance to meet her father. Maybe we can remedy that! Also the first object she ever levitated to show Korkie her power was a piece of fruit. So she really was a Rash all along! ;)

Funny how things have come full circle since I started writing about Soniee nine months ago. And now would be a good time to go back and read chapter four of Ashla Spectrum. I said that it took place a few years later and several star systems away and now we have reached that point.

I would like however to give a little disclaimer. Any similarities between events on Onderon and our current political climate are purely coincidental and the views, motives, actions of Saw Gerrera do not necessarily represent those of the author. I have tried to portray his desperation and determination as closely to his canon characteristics as possible.

That being said, you get to see a whole lot more of Saw in the next book! Yay!

So here you go. Just a teaser of the third book in the Ashla Spectrum trilogy: "Some Say I Got Devil"

* * *

"Come on, old boy. Stretch those wings out. You'll forget how to use them if you don't exercise them a bit." The ruping's eyes had faded from brilliant emerald to a rheumy jade. He was nearly blind and had to be led to food and drink. There wasn't much left to remind one of what the once noble Frayl had looked like in flight. He had come to represent his name. But he did still have one friend in the world, one who remembered when the creature was at his peak. The Empire couldn't take his memories and they couldn't take his land no matter how hard they tried. The other beast riders may have been forced into the city when the storm troopers came and burned down the jungle, but there was a cave they didn't know about. Someone had brought him here long ago. She had shared her secrets with him But she was gone now, long gone, along with the child she had carried...

Frayl lifted his head and gave a weak trumpeting call. "Yeah I heard it too. It's alright, old boy. It's just Saw."

The younger man landed in the cave mouth on his younger ruping. "You still alive, Brem?"

"You know I am. Back here."

Back here wasn't too far in. Time hadn't lessened the man's aversion to dark, cold places. The only thing good about this one was that she had been here, once. It was her place and he could still feel a little of her presence here.

Saw had no such aversion but that didn't mean he liked this place. He couldn't understand why the old man had retreated here. "So you are. Hey why don't you come into the city for a visit? You don't have to stay out here all alone."

"I'm not alone. I've got Frayl." He grumbled.

"Brem you can't hide out here from the Empire forever. You know they'll find you eventually."

"And what would the empire want with one old man. They won't bother Frayl and me, will they boy?"

The old ruping stretched out a wing and gave Saw a shove that was barely a tap to the strong young man.

Saw couldn't help but smile. The creature had been hatched the same year he was born and had been a constant in his life even when he lost his parents, when he lost Steela... He would be almost as sad to see the ruping finally succumb to his long life as Brem would.

"And what are you going to do when Frayl decides to fly off to bluer skies?" Saw pet the old beast who still knew him by scent and sound even if he couldn't see him.

"Maybe I'll just follow along with him. What else is there for me here?"

"Come on, Brem. You're not that old. Momma would have cuffed you for talking like that. Steela would too, and you know it." His smile fell at his own mention of his sister.

"And what am I supposed to do in the city? Join your freedom fighters? What are you calling yourselves now, Partitions?"

"Partisans. And we could use you. I know you've still got fight left in you."

Bremon grumbled. "Too many people and didn't you say you've got 'em all packed down in the tunnels. I'm not goin' down there. And you be careful. There's stuff down there you don't understand." He pointed at the younger man aggressively and the fire that used to light up his green eyes flared for a moment.

"What's down there, Brem? Why do you hate it so much?" There must have been a quaver in his voice something that alerted the old man.

"You've been poking around haven't you? You've found something?" Bremon swore. "There is nothing good down in those caves." His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "Took everything from me..."

Saw didn't want to upset him but he pushed a little further. He had to know. "Zal did find something. It's like a doorway of some kind."

Bremon pretended not to listen but Saw could tell he was listening intently and he didn't like what he was hearing.

"It, uh, had some runes on it, the old ones, older than the characters you taught Steela and me, but I could make out a name... Freedun Nadd?"

Bremon turned on him suddenly and shouted, "You stay away from that place! That place is evil!"

"You know it then. You've been inside it. It's something to do with the Force like the Jedi used, isn't it?"

"The Jedi are dead and should probably stay that way. And what's in that chamber should stay dead as well. You stay away from it and get your people away from it! Find someplace else to set up your little army!"

Saw threw caution to the wind. "If we had that kind of power, like what the Jedi had maybe we could throw off the Empire here for good. Maybe we could really free Onderon, Uncle Brem."

Bremon cringed. Yes, he had asked the Gerrera kids to call him that once long ago but now he had no idea why. It reminded him too much of his own uncle. "The Empire killed all the Jedi and anyone with their kind of power. What makes you think one of them will be able to help you on your crusade?"

Saw threw up his hands. "Maybe it's the only thing that can."

Bremon went back to rubbing down Frayl, maybe his only friend left. "The Force is nothing but trouble. You associate yourself with it and you'll end up as dead as the Jedi."

"It was because of the Force wasn't it, whatever happened to Aunt Mel? I barely remember her but I know she was special. Was she sensitive to the Force?"

The old man pressed his eyes shut and leaned against the ruping's side. "No, she didn't have the Force but it lived inside her for a time. I told her to go, to get away from this place." He turned around again to face Saw and there were silent tears streaming down his cheeks. "I'm telling you the same thing do not mess with that chamber. Stay as far away from it as you can."

"If this place, this planet is so evil, why are you still here? Why don't you just leave it?" Saw asked, frustrated.  
Bremon turned back to the ruping. "Where would I go? This is the only place I can still feel... her."


End file.
